PARIS, Nov. 13 (UPI) — An elaborate and coordinated terrorist attack struck in the heart of France on Friday evening — with rampant gunfire and multiple explosions leaving dozens dead and many wounded, officials and witnesses said.
The attack began around 9:30 p.m. local time and involved at least three shootings in Paris’ 10th and 11th districts, witnesses said, and at least three explosions near the nation’s national stadium, Stade de France, which lies north of Paris in Saint-Denis.
Germany and France were playing a soccer match at the stadium at the time of the blasts, where French President Francois Hollande was in attendance. He was unharmed and left the stadium to assist in the emergency response.
Hollande later declared a state of emergency and announced that France’s international borders would be closed until further notice.
“As I speak, terrorist attacks of an unprecedented scale are taking place in the Paris region,” he said in a nationally televised address late Friday. “There are several dozen dead, lots more wounded, it’s horrific.”
A lockdown and curfew were also issued for France’s capital city as police searched for the attackers and tended to victims.
Leparmentier Arnaud, an editor for France’s le Monde, was at the match and tweeted a photo that showed fans on the field inside the stadium.
Audio of one explosion can be heard on the broadcast of the game, which was posted to Vine.
One of the shootings reportedly occurred at the Cambroge restaurant. Photographs from France 2 TV employee Vincent Berthézène showed bullet damage to a window and emergency personnel surrounding the scene.
The status of the gunman or gunmen was not initially clear. Some witnesses said they saw two men emerge from a parked car and open fire before getting back in the car and leaving moments later.
USA Today reported more than 40 dead so far but news reports indicate that toll will almost certainly rise. Some witnesses said gunmen were firing automatic weapons, possibly AK-47 assault rifles, BBC News reported.
“There are a lot of dead people. It’s pretty horrific to be honest … The pile of bodies in front was too much for my wife to walk over,” witness Ben Grant told BBC News.
U.S. President Barack Obama immediately responded to the attacks, saying they amount to a devastating blow to all people.
“Once again we’ve seen an outrageous attempt to terrorize innocent civilians. This is an attack not just on Paris. It’s an attack not just on the people of France. But this is an attack on all of humanity and the universal values we share,” he said, pledging support to a nation he called the United States’ oldest ally.
Obama had called Hollande earlier Friday to discuss the forthcoming climate change conference in Paris.
Officials said gunmen had also taken dozens of hostages at the nearby Bataclan concert hall — one of four music venues the attackers targeted, Consequence of Sound reported.
Officials later confirmed that three gunmen had taken over the concert hall, and that one had been killed. Some reports also indicated that police officials believe at least one of the explosions was a suicide bombing.
Unconfirmed reports of additional gunfire at Paris’ largest shopping mall, Les Halles, was reported by France’s The Journal.
No one had claimed responsibility for the attacks late Friday.
This is a developing story
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