Armed counter terrorism police in Paris are continuing to search for at least three masked gunmen who opened fire in the newsroom of satirical magazine ‘Charlie Hebdo’ killing twelve people and critically injuring eight, in what the French President has described as ‘act of exceptional barbarism’.
Two of those killed were police officers, who arrived at the scene by bicycle, following reports of automatic gunfire in an apparent Islamist attack.
French media report that the magazine’s famous cartoonist and editor, Charb, was killed in the attack along with fellow illustrators Tignous and Wolinski.
Charb was recently added to al-Qaida’s wanted listed for producing illustrations of the prophet Muhammad.
Amateur vision taken at the scene captured the masked gunmen shouting “we have avenged the Prophet Muhammad!” and “Allahu akbar!” during their assault on the magazine’s headquarters, hours after the magazine tweeted a cartoon of the Islamic State militant group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Map of the Charlie Hebdo magazine offices, where three gunmen shot dead 12 people including journalists and two policemen.
The assailants were believed to have been armed with Kalashnikov and AK-47 firearms when they stormed the publication’s daily editorial meeting.
One was filmed executing a police officer at point-blank range as he lay on the ground begging for his life.
In the graphic clip uploaded to YouTube, the gunman can be heard speaking in both French and Arabic before pulling the trigger.
The gunmen opened fire on police vehicles before hijacking a car and escaping towards the Porte de Pantin metro station.
Visibly distressed witnesses have gathered near the police cordon, paying their respects to those who have lost their lives.
"Our thoughts, it must be understood, go to the victims and their nearest, and to all of the journalists who are fighting for freedom of expression, for the freedom of the press and who are touched deeply by these circumstances" said French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve.
"Our thoughts also go to the police who were ensuring the protection of Charlie Hebdo, and who were killed at the scene or during the pursuit of the criminals immediately after the events had occurred."
"Our aim and our duty is to ensure the protection of all French people throughout the territory, and that is why the prime minister took the decision this morning to heighten the anti-terrorist alert for the Paris and Ile-de-France region up to the level of anti-terrorist plan in case of attack."
Neighbouring schools have been evacuated and armed police have deployed across the city, guarding other newsrooms, shopping centres and railway stations.
Speaking at the scene, French President Francois Hollande called for national unity, saying the victims were “murdered in a cowardly manner” in a terrorist attack “of exceptional barbarity”.
“We are threatened because we are a country of liberty”, he told visibly distressed witnesses.
Charlie Hebdo was the target of a firebombing in 2011 after publishing a cartoon cover deriding Prophet Muhammad.
Riot police were deployed to its offices in 2012 after it published more Muhammad cartoons, including images of him naked.
The White House condemned the attack in the “strongest possible terms”.
The President of European Union Commission, Jean-Claude Junker, said he was “deeply shocked”.
The European Parliament released a statement.
"We are profoundly shocked by this heinous crime which is an affront to civilised society and we unreservedly condemn such violence" said President Martin Schultz.
"As Europeans we must never surrender the values which are so close to our hearts and which this act has sought to undermine: the freedom of the press and of expression, tolerance, and mutual respect."
"Whatever our opinions or religious beliefs we must stand strong and united against such violent acts."
"I call on all citizens to defend together the values we cherish."
The Vatican has also condemned the attack as “abominable”.
"It is a double act of violence, abominable because it is both an attack against people as well as against freedom of the press," said Father Ciro Benedettini.
Speaking in the House of Commons, British Prime Minister David Cameron said: “this country stands united with the French people in our opposition to all forms of terrorism and we stand squarely for free speech and democracy and these people will never be able to take us off those values.”
Index on Censorship condemned what it called “an appalling attack” and “an attempt to silence a free press”.
“The ability to express ourselves freely is fundamental to a free society” said CEO Jodie Ginsberg.
“The includes the freedom to publish, to satirise, to joke, to criticize, even when that might cause offence to others”.
“Nothing can justify such an attack and those who organised and committed these crimes should be brought to justice”, said Human Rights Watch.
“France should protect freedom of expression and guard against any backlash against particular groups”.
The Foreign Press Association President, Australian journalist Paola described the murders as “an attempt to assassinate free expression and a free press”.
