French police are searching for a suspected female accomplice of the
men behind deadly attacks on a satirical magazine and a kosher
supermarket, amid plans for a large street march in Paris.
men behind deadly attacks on a satirical magazine and a kosher
supermarket, amid plans for a large street march in Paris.
Hundreds of troops were deployed around Paris on Saturday, tightening
security on the eve of the march which is expected to draw hundreds of
thousands of people to pay tribute to the victims of the attacks.
security on the eve of the march which is expected to draw hundreds of
thousands of people to pay tribute to the victims of the attacks.
Security levels were kept at France's highest level for Hayat Boumeddiene, the partner of Amedy Coulibaly, who laid siege to the Jewish supermarket and was one of the three attackers killed on Friday.
Boumeddiene, 26, described as "armed and dangerous", remained on the loose, police said.
Al Jazeera's Rory Challands, reporting from Paris, said some media
outlets were reporting that Boumeddiene might have left the country and
travelled to Turkey last week.
outlets were reporting that Boumeddiene might have left the country and
travelled to Turkey last week.
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| Hayat Boumeddiene (L) and Amedy Coulibaly (R) [AFP] |
However, French authorities have yet to confirm the reports.
Boumeddiene has never been convicted of a crime, French officials
say, but judicial records obtained by Associated Press news agency
indicate she was known to French internal security services, and once
posed for a photo in her Islamic veil and holding a crossbow.
say, but judicial records obtained by Associated Press news agency
indicate she was known to French internal security services, and once
posed for a photo in her Islamic veil and holding a crossbow.
The records show that she was also once interrogated by French officials about her reaction to assaults committed by al-Qaeda.
"I don't have any opinion," she answered, according to the records,
but immediately added that innocent people were being killed by the
Americans and needed to be defended, and that information provided by
the media was suspect.
but immediately added that innocent people were being killed by the
Americans and needed to be defended, and that information provided by
the media was suspect.
In the deadliest attack in France in decades, 17 people lost their
lives in three days of violence that began with an an assault on
the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo on Wednesday and ended with Friday's dual hostage-taking at a print works outside Paris and a Jewish supermarket in the city.
lives in three days of violence that began with an an assault on
the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo on Wednesday and ended with Friday's dual hostage-taking at a print works outside Paris and a Jewish supermarket in the city.
French security forces killed Said and Cherif Kouachi, the brothers
behind the 12 magazine killings, after they took refuge in the print
works.
behind the 12 magazine killings, after they took refuge in the print
works.
Police also killed Coulibaly, an associate of the one of the Kouachi
brothers, after he planted explosives at the supermarket in a siege that
claimed the lives of four hostages
brothers, after he planted explosives at the supermarket in a siege that
claimed the lives of four hostages
AQAP claims attack
Earlier, al-Qaeda's Yemeni branch claimed responsibility for the Charlie Hebdo killings, saying the shooting was an operation to teach the French the limits of freedom of expression.
Harith al-Nadhari, a senior member of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian
Peninsula (AQAP), made the claim in an audio recording published online
late on Friday.
Peninsula (AQAP), made the claim in an audio recording published online
late on Friday.
"Some French were not polite with the prophets and that was the
reason why a few of the believers, who loved Allah and his prophet and
loved martyrdom, went to them to teach them how to behave and how to be
polite with the prophets and to teach them that the freedom of
expression has limits and boundaries," Nadhari said in the recording.
reason why a few of the believers, who loved Allah and his prophet and
loved martyrdom, went to them to teach them how to behave and how to be
polite with the prophets and to teach them that the freedom of
expression has limits and boundaries," Nadhari said in the recording.
He also warned France it would not enjoy security unless it stopped what he called a "war" on Islam.
In recent years, Charlie Hebdo had drawn repeated threats for publishing caricatures of Prophet Muhammad among other controversial sketches.
In Islam, depiction of the prophet is blasphemous and caricatures or
other characterisations have provoked protests across the Islamic world.
other characterisations have provoked protests across the Islamic world.
Cherif Kouachi, one of the attackers, claimed to have been trained and financed by al-Qaeda in Yemen.
Yemeni intelligence officials confirmed to Al Jazeera that Cherif's
brother, Said had also been in Yemen in 2011, fighting with al-Qaeda,
and had been deported.
brother, Said had also been in Yemen in 2011, fighting with al-Qaeda,
and had been deported.
If confirmed, the attack would be the first time AQAP has
successfully carried out an operation in the West after at least two
earlier attempts.
successfully carried out an operation in the West after at least two
earlier attempts.
The group is considered the most active and dangerous branch of al-Qaeda.
Al Jazeera's Omar Al Saleh, reporting from the Yemeni capital Sanaa,
said AQAP had previously made attempts to attract supporters in the
West, including by launching an online magazine.
said AQAP had previously made attempts to attract supporters in the
West, including by launching an online magazine.
It has also called on individuals to carry out attacks independently - referred to as "lone wolf" attacks.
AQAP orchestrated the December 2009 attempt to bomb an American passenger jet over Detroit in which Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab failed to detonate explosives.
In 2010, the group attempted to send bombs in packages to be delivered to targets in the US, but the packages were intercepted on flights through Europe and the Gulf.
Unity march planned
Against this backdrop, French President Francois Hollande said he
would attend Sunday's planned unity march in Paris, which is expected to
draw hundreds of thousands of people as well as the leaders of
countries Germany, Britain, Italy and Spain.
would attend Sunday's planned unity march in Paris, which is expected to
draw hundreds of thousands of people as well as the leaders of
countries Germany, Britain, Italy and Spain.
Al Jazeera's Laurence Lee, reporting from Paris, said 36 individual
demonstrations were due to be held in cities and towns across the
country in support of the "ideals of the French Republic" and in
commemoration of the victims.
demonstrations were due to be held in cities and towns across the
country in support of the "ideals of the French Republic" and in
commemoration of the victims.
Arab League representatives and some Muslim African leaders as well as Turkey's prime minister will also attend.
Bernard Cazeneuve, France's interior minister, said after an
emergency security meeting on Saturday that the government was deploying
hundreds of troops in addition to thousands of police and other
security forces.
emergency security meeting on Saturday that the government was deploying
hundreds of troops in addition to thousands of police and other
security forces.
As Paris remained on high alert, questions were raised over how the
Kouachi brothers and Coulibaly had slipped through the security net
after it emerged they were all known to the intelligence agencies.
Kouachi brothers and Coulibaly had slipped through the security net
after it emerged they were all known to the intelligence agencies.
The two brothers had been on a US "terror watch list" and Cherif was
convicted in 2008 for involvement in a network sending fighters to
Iraq
convicted in 2008 for involvement in a network sending fighters to
Iraq
The killings of Charlie Hebdo staff has elicited global condemnation
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