One man sought in the deadly shooting at a French satirical paper has turned himself in, and police hunted Thursday for two heavily armed men, methodical killing of 12 people at the office of a satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, Associated press reported on Thursday, January 8, 2015.
Eight journalists, two police officers, a maintenance worker and a visitor were killed, said prosecutor Francois Molins. He said 11 people were wounded – four of them seriously.
President Francois Hollande, visiting the scene of France’s deadliest such attack in more than half a century, called the assault on the weekly newspaper Charlie Hebdo “an act of exceptional barbarism.”
France raised its terror alert system to the maximum – Attack Alert – and bolstered security with more than 800 extra soldiers to guard media offices, places of worship, transport and other sensitive areas.
The attack was condemned by world leaders.
President Barack Obama offered U.S. help in pursuing the gunmen, saying they had attacked freedom of expression. He offered prayers and support for France, which he called “America’s oldest ally.”
British Prime Minister David Cameron said his country stood united with France,
“We stand squarely for free speech and democracy. These people will never be able to take us off those values,” Cameron said in the House of Commons.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also condemned the attack as a “cynical crime,” and pledged cooperation in fighting terrorism.
“I think all of Europe is crying today,” said Italian Premier Matteo Renzi. “All the free world is crying. All men and women who believe in freedom and reason are crying.”
The president of the Union of French mosques condemned the “hateful act,” and urged Muslims and Christians “to intensify their actions to give more strength to this dialogue, to make a united front against extremism.”
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation based in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, which represents 57 Muslim-majority nations, added its condemnation, saying that violence and radicalism were the biggest enemies of Islam and went against all its fundamental principles and values.
Also, The National Council of Resistance of Iran cited Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the Iranian Resistance, strongly condemning the ruthless terrorist attack on the office of a French magazine in Paris and the killing and injuring of a number of its staff and reporters. Mrs. Rajavi offered her condolences to the bereaved families of the victims of this tragedy and to the people and the Government of France.
Mrs. Rajavi said that attacks on innocent civilians, especially journalists, under whatever pretext or excuse, are terrorist crimes and blatantly contradict the teachings of Islam, which in no way condone such atrocities.
It was the deadliest attack on journalists since 2009, when 32 journalists were killed in an ambush on a political convoy in the southern Philippines.
