Paris Attacker Identified as Ismael Omar Mostefai

http://www.newsbharati.com/ Paris Attacker Identified as Ismael Omar Mostefai.

A French official identified the suspected mastermind of the attacks that killed 132 people in Paris on Friday as Belgian national Abdelhamid Abaaoud, and said he is believed to be linked to thwarted attacks on a high-speed train bound for the French capital and a church in the Paris area, according to media reports.



French radio station RTL described Abaaoud, 27, as “one of the most active (Islamic State) executioners” in Syria. Reuters reported that Abaaoud is currently in the war-torn country, citing a source close to the investigation.



Two more suicide bombers involved in the attacks were named by authorities Monday. Paris prosecutors named an attacker who blew himself up in the Bataclan music hall Friday as Samy Amimour, a 28-year-old French national who was charged in a terrorism investigation in 2012.



The broadcaster BFMTV reported that three of his relatives were detained by police.



Prosecutors said Amimour was put under judicial supervision but dropped off authorities’ radar in 2013 and an international warrant was issued for his arrest. AFP said Amimour's family said he went to Syria two years ago.



Another bomber who targeted the national stadium was found with a Syrian passport with the name Ahmad Al Mohammad, a 25-year-old born in Idlib, prosecutors said. Fingerprints from the attacker match those of someone who passed through Greece in October.



The passport's discovery raised concerns that Islamic State militants may be crossing into Turkey before moving to Western Europe alongside the hundreds of thousands of refugees and migrants who have entered Europe this year, many of them fleeing the civil war in Syria.

Belgium becomes Terror Hotbed of Europe

http://www.newsbharati.com/ Belgium becomes Terror Hotbed of Europe.

How Belgium Became a Terrorism Hotbed

For the past year, terrorist plot after terrorist plot has been tied back to Belgium. How did this tiny nation become ground zero?

AMSTERDAM — As the race to discover how terrorists managed to carry out such devastating attacks in Paris continues, the focus has shifted to France’s little neighbor, Belgium, as a hotbed of terrorist conspiracies. And this isn't the first time.

Today the Belgian authorities announced two of the identified terrorists involved in the Paris attacks were French citizens living in Belgium. They are part of a trio of brothers. The first, called Ibrahim Abdelslam, killed himself in Paris using an explosive belt. A second was arrested by the Belgian police in Molenbeek, a multi-ethnic neighborhood in central Brussels. He is being questioned and it is uncertain if he was involved. The third is Salah Abdelslam, 26, who is on the run with an international arrest warrant issued for him. “There is a link to Molenbeek,” Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said. “We are focused on prevention but we need to act repressively, too.”

The prime minister promised the Belgian people extra measures against jihadists returning to Belgium from the Syrian and Iraqi battlefields. Knowing the scale of the Belgian problem, implementing the right measures is paramount, not just for the Belgians themselves but also for their neighboring countries.



With increasing frequency, links are uncovered between jihadist operations and Belgian terrorist cells, raising serious questions about the Belgian government’s ability to deal with terrorists who use the country for recruiting and support networks.



Belgium, wedged in between Germany, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, and France, has brought forth a disproportionate amount of jihadists. “The maximum number of Belgians who at one point were active in Syria or Iraq has climbed to 516,” Belgian Arabist and author Pieter van Ostaeyen said on his blog last month. Van Ostayen has been keeping a close eye on developments within Belgian minority groups vulnerable to radicalization. The number of jihadists, put into context, becomes quite alarming. “This number means that out of Belgium’s Muslim population of about 640,000 individuals, there is roughly one per 1,260 who has been involved in jihad in Syria and Iraq. At this point Belgium is, per capita, by far the European nation contributing the most to the foreign element in the Syrian war.”



Belgium is a small country with, sometimes, big problems. It even went without a cohesive government for a record 541 days in 2010 and 2011. Being a largely divided Flemish/French-speaking society to begin with, it had problems integrating its newcomers. Its second- and third- generation immigrants on average made little socio-economic progress, or had little chance to do so. Meanwhile, the security services in the city of Brussels have another significant issue: for a population of 1.3 million inhabitants, the local police force is divided up in six police corps spread over 19 boroughs. Sharing security information in that setting could only be complicated.



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In connection to Friday’s attacks in Paris, seven suspects were arrested in that Brussels municipality of St Jans Molenbeek on Saturday. “In the direct surroundings of one of the attacks, specifically the Bataclan, a Belgian vehicle was found, with Belgian registration, which had been rented in Belgium,” federal police spokesperson Eric van der Sypt said on Belgian National News. “Based on that information we were able to do the searches and make the arrests.”



According to the Belgian press, inside the car a parking ticket for Molenbeek was found. Yesterday and today, house searches took place in the area. Near a subway station (Ossegem) the Belgian police blocked off a street and special forces searched a car. One suspect who tried to escape was chased, stopped, and arrested.



The person who rented one of the cars used in the Paris attacks was seen crossing the French border yesterday morning. French Public prosecutor François Molins told the press: “We know the car was rented by a French man who lived in Belgium. This morning the man was checked at the Belgian border, in another car, so not the Seat nor the Polo in which two other persons were present, who also lived in Brussels.”



Those men reportedly were arrested by the Belgian police later that day in connection to the Paris attacks. One of the men is said to be the brother of the man who rented the car and is an ex-Syria jihadist and he too rented a car that may be have been used in the Friday attacks.

French Jets pounded ISIS in Raqqa, Syria as Retaliation of Paris Attack

http://www.newsbharati.com/ French Jets pounded ISIS in Raqqa, Syria as Retaliation of Paris Attack

As a rretaliation to the gruesome Paris terror attack French jets pounded ISIS stronghold in Syria

French fighter jets launched their biggest raids in Syria to date targeting the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) stronghold in Raqqa just two days after the group claimed coordinated attacks in Paris that killed more than 130 people, the defence ministry said.



“The raid ... including 10 fighter jets, was launched simultaneously from the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. Twenty bombs were dropped,” the statement said, adding that the mission had taken place this evening.



The operation, carried out in coordination with U.S. forces, struck a command center, recruitment center for extremists, a munitions depot and a training camp for fighters, it said.



ISIS has claimed responsibility for Friday's suicide bombings and shootings, which have re-ignited a row over Europe's refugee crisis and drawn calls to block huge arrivals of Muslim asylum-seekers.



French police have launched an international hunt for a Belgian-born man they believe helped organize the assaults with two of his brothers. One of the brothers died in the attacks, while the second one is under arrest in Belgium, a judicial source said.



A further two French suicide attackers have been identified, police said, while the identity of four other assailants, who all died in the violence, was still under review.



France has been bombing ISIS positions in Iraq and Syria for months as part of a U.S.-led operation. Following Friday's mayhem, Paris vowed to destroy the group. Underlining its resolve, French jets on Sunday launched their biggest raids in Syria to date, hitting its stronghold in Raqqa.



There was no word on casualties or the damage inflicted.

Paris Attacks- Salah Abdeslam Manhunt Launched Across Europe

http://www.newsbharati.com/ Paris Attacks- Salah Abdeslam Manhunt Launched Across Europe.

Paris attacks: Manhunt for Salah Abdeslam and accomplices

1 hour ago

 From the section Europe

Poster issued by French policeImage copyrightPolice Nationale

Paris attacks



LIVE Paris attacks: latest updates

Paris attacks: Impact on borders and refugees

Islamic State changes tactics

Paris attacks: Who were the victims?

A huge manhunt is under way for surviving members of the Islamist group that killed 129 people in Paris on Friday night, and their accomplices.

French police have named Salah Abdeslam, 26, as a main suspect.

Officials say he was in a car when was stopped by police on Saturday, hours after the attacks took place, but he and the other occupants were released.

One of his brothers is said to have died after detonating a suicide belt, and another has been arrested.

Live updates

Meanwhile, French military aircraft have attacked Raqqa in Syria - the stronghold of Islamic State (IS), which claims to have carried out Friday night's attacks on the French capital.

Media captionVideo released by the French Ministry of Defence shows military aircraft departing on their mission

Seven attackers died in Friday's gun and bomb attacks on bars and restaurants, a concert hall and the Stade de France, the country's main sports stadium - most of them after detonating suicide belts.

Salah Abdeslam is said to have rented a VW Polo car that was found near the Bataclan concert hall, where 89 people died, and believed to have been used by attackers.

On Saturday he was in a vehicle near the Belgian border which was stopped by police, officials said. He was reportedly questioned, had his papers checked and was then released along with two other men who were also in the car.

It is unclear whether the French authorities had matched the VW Polo found at the Bataclan venue to him at the time he was stopped.

Police have described Salah Abdeslam as dangerous, and warned people not to approach him.

Media captionWho were the victims of the Paris attack?

He is one of three Belgium-based brothers linked to Friday's attacks, officials say.

Another, Brahim Abdeslam, 31, is said to have been the attacker who blew himself up outside a bar on the Boulevard Voltaire near the Bataclan, wounding one person.

A third brother, Mohammed, was reportedly arrested in the Brussels neighbourhood of Molenbeek while returning from Paris and remains in custody.

Officials said they were traced following the discovery of two rental cars registered in Belgium - the VW Polo rented by Salah Abdeslam and a Seat containing Kalashnikovs that was found abandoned in the Paris suburb of Montreuil.

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said Friday night's attacks in Paris had been prepared "by a group of individuals based in Belgium" who had "benefited from accomplices in France".

Belgian police have made a total of seven arrests.

Belgium's Premier Charles Michel said the Belgian authorities would crack down on Molenbeek, which has a reputation as being a haven for jihadists.

"I have noticed there is almost always a link to Molenbeek, that there is a gigantic problem there," he said.

Another attacker to have been identified is 29-year-old Frenchman Ismail Omar Mostefai, who blew himself up at the Bataclan. He had a criminal record and had been flagged up as a possible Islamist extremist by French intelligence.

464 gray line

Analysis: Gordon Corera, security correspondent, BBC News

French investigators are pursuing an international trail that stretches across Europe - and one concern for security services in other countries is how far Islamic State has already put in place the ability to replicate the Paris attacks.

There are unconfirmed reports that a similar style attack might have been planned in Turkey for the same time but was foiled.

Tracing back the Paris operatives to whoever organised them will be crucial in order to understand what else might be planned.

These attackers do not appear to have been people simply inspired by IS, but rather trained operatives.

And the fact that Western intelligence services do not appear to have picked up any signs of this plot from their human and electronic sources will only increase concerns.

464 gray line

French President Francois Hollande has said the attacks were an act of war and promised that his country's reaction would be pitiless.

On Sunday, 10 fighter jets operating out of French bases in Jordan and the UAE dropped 20 guided bombs on four targets in Raqqa, the French defence ministry said.

The targets included a command centre, recruitment centre for jihadists, a munitions depot and a training camp for fighters, the ministry said.

The strikes were carried out in co-ordination with US forces.

France is currently marking a third and final day of national mourning. A state of emergency declared by President Hollande remains in force, and thousands of extra police and troops are on the streets of Paris.

Paris Attack & Refugee Crisis of Europe

http://www.newsbharati.com/ Paris Attack & Refugee Crisis of Europe.

Paris attacks: Manhunt for Salah Abdeslam and accomplices

1 hour ago

 From the section Europe

Poster issued by French policeImage copyrightPolice Nationale

Paris attacks



LIVE Paris attacks: latest updates

Paris attacks: Impact on borders and refugees

Islamic State changes tactics

Paris attacks: Who were the victims?

A huge manhunt is under way for surviving members of the Islamist group that killed 129 people in Paris on Friday night, and their accomplices.

French police have named Salah Abdeslam, 26, as a main suspect.

Officials say he was in a car when was stopped by police on Saturday, hours after the attacks took place, but he and the other occupants were released.

One of his brothers is said to have died after detonating a suicide belt, and another has been arrested.

Live updates

Meanwhile, French military aircraft have attacked Raqqa in Syria - the stronghold of Islamic State (IS), which claims to have carried out Friday night's attacks on the French capital.

Media captionVideo released by the French Ministry of Defence shows military aircraft departing on their mission

Seven attackers died in Friday's gun and bomb attacks on bars and restaurants, a concert hall and the Stade de France, the country's main sports stadium - most of them after detonating suicide belts.

Salah Abdeslam is said to have rented a VW Polo car that was found near the Bataclan concert hall, where 89 people died, and believed to have been used by attackers.

On Saturday he was in a vehicle near the Belgian border which was stopped by police, officials said. He was reportedly questioned, had his papers checked and was then released along with two other men who were also in the car.

It is unclear whether the French authorities had matched the VW Polo found at the Bataclan venue to him at the time he was stopped.

Police have described Salah Abdeslam as dangerous, and warned people not to approach him.

Media captionWho were the victims of the Paris attack?

He is one of three Belgium-based brothers linked to Friday's attacks, officials say.

Another, Brahim Abdeslam, 31, is said to have been the attacker who blew himself up outside a bar on the Boulevard Voltaire near the Bataclan, wounding one person.

A third brother, Mohammed, was reportedly arrested in the Brussels neighbourhood of Molenbeek while returning from Paris and remains in custody.

Officials said they were traced following the discovery of two rental cars registered in Belgium - the VW Polo rented by Salah Abdeslam and a Seat containing Kalashnikovs that was found abandoned in the Paris suburb of Montreuil.

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said Friday night's attacks in Paris had been prepared "by a group of individuals based in Belgium" who had "benefited from accomplices in France".

Belgian police have made a total of seven arrests.

Belgium's Premier Charles Michel said the Belgian authorities would crack down on Molenbeek, which has a reputation as being a haven for jihadists.

"I have noticed there is almost always a link to Molenbeek, that there is a gigantic problem there," he said.

Another attacker to have been identified is 29-year-old Frenchman Ismail Omar Mostefai, who blew himself up at the Bataclan. He had a criminal record and had been flagged up as a possible Islamist extremist by French intelligence.

464 gray line

Analysis: Gordon Corera, security correspondent, BBC News

French investigators are pursuing an international trail that stretches across Europe - and one concern for security services in other countries is how far Islamic State has already put in place the ability to replicate the Paris attacks.

There are unconfirmed reports that a similar style attack might have been planned in Turkey for the same time but was foiled.

Tracing back the Paris operatives to whoever organised them will be crucial in order to understand what else might be planned.

These attackers do not appear to have been people simply inspired by IS, but rather trained operatives.

And the fact that Western intelligence services do not appear to have picked up any signs of this plot from their human and electronic sources will only increase concerns.

464 gray line

French President Francois Hollande has said the attacks were an act of war and promised that his country's reaction would be pitiless.

On Sunday, 10 fighter jets operating out of French bases in Jordan and the UAE dropped 20 guided bombs on four targets in Raqqa, the French defence ministry said.

The targets included a command centre, recruitment centre for jihadists, a munitions depot and a training camp for fighters, the ministry said.

The strikes were carried out in co-ordination with US forces.

France is currently marking a third and final day of national mourning. A state of emergency declared by President Hollande remains in force, and thousands of extra police and troops are on the streets of Paris.