Terror In Paris: Dozens Killed In Simultaneous Bombings, Shootings – OpEd
By Jim Kouri
French police are reporting that simultaneous attacks — an explosion in a bar near a Paris soccer stadium, a shootout on the streets outside Paris restaurants and a hostage situation in a concert hall where a California band was playing — left at least 60 dead and perhaps three times as many wounded on Friday night, Paris time.
Several explosions were heard near a stadium where a friendly France-Germany soccer match was being held, attended by President Francois Hollande. In addition, while police responded to the locations of the attacks, a report from a Conservative Base source claimed a shopping mall is now under attack.
Another 15 killed in the Bataclan concert hall where terrorists are said to be holding around 100 people hostage. The terrorists shouted ‘Allah Akbar’ and ‘this is for Syria’ as they burst in and opened fire, witnesses have said
Police helicopters circled the stadium north of Paris as Hollande rushed back to the interior ministry to deal with the situation.
Police confirmed there had been shootings and explosions at the stadium, but not the number of casualties.
Witnesses said police closed down a neighborhood in central Paris where media said gunmen had fired in a restaurant, causing multiple casualties.
One of the police officials said there was a separate explosion near the Stade de France north of Paris. It was unclear if the events were linked. Another police source reported 100 hostages and at least 15 killed in the Bataclan concert hall.
Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to be publicly named. France has been on edge since deadly attacks by Islamic extremists in January on satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo and a kosher grocery that left 20 dead, including the three attackers.
Despite the past experiences with Muslim terrorist attacks in France, the French government still allowed thousands of supposed Syrian and Iraqi refugees who claim they are fleeing the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria as well as the Assad regime.
At 6:20 p.m. (Eastern Time), reporters on the ground in Paris said that terrorists were systematically killing crying hostages who were pleading with police to rescue them. Some reporters were visibly crying.
