Agencies, Paris :
The US president and other world leaders have condemned a series of coordinated attacks in the French capital Paris that has left more than 100 people dead.
In a statement late on Friday evening, Barack Obama said the attacks were an “outrageous attempt to terrorise civilians” and that his country was ready to provide France with any help it required.
“France is our oldest ally, the French people have stood by the American people time and again, we want to be very clear that we stand together with them in the fight against terrorism and extremism,” he said.
“We’re going to do whatever it takes to work with the French people and nations around the world to bring these terrorists to justice and to go after any terrorist networks that go after our people.”
Obama said he would not speculate on who was responsible for the attacks, which struck multiple locations across Paris, including the Stade France football stadium, where the French team was playing Germany in a friendly match, and the Bataclan art centre, where scores were shot dead.
A statement released by the US Department of Homeland Security said it was closely monitoring the situation in France but was not aware of “specific or credible threats of attack” on US territory.
Obama’s comments were echoed by David Cameron, British prime minister, and other world leaders, who took to social media to express their solidarity.
“I am shocked by events in Paris tonight. Our thoughts and prayers are with the French people. We will do whatever we can to help,” Cameron wrote in a tweet shortly after news of the attacks broke.
A statement by the German foreign office on behalf of Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was “deeply shocked” by the attack and conveyed her sympathy and solidarity.
Frank-Walter Steinmeier, German foreign minister, was pictured sitting next to French President Francois Hollande during the match at the Stade France.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also expressed his condemnation following the “horrible terrorist attacks”, sending his condolences to the French people and Hollande in a statement published by the Russian foreign ministry.
“Russia strongly condemns this inhumane killing and is ready to provide any and all assistance to investigate these terrorist crimes,” Putin said.
Justin Trudeau, the recently elected Canadian prime minister, said his government was offering its help to France and that he had discussed the security situation in his own country with officials.
“I’ve been speaking with our national security team to ensure everything is being done to keep people safe,” Trudeau said, according to the National Post newspaper.
Meanwhile, terrified survivors from the Paris concert hall targeted during Friday’s attacks have described running over bodies and hiding after gunmen stormed the venue and began executing rock fans with barrages of automatic gunfire.
Pierre Janaszak, a radio presenter, was sitting in the balcony at the Bataclan concert hall with his sister and friends when they heard shots from below about one hour into the concert by US rock band Eagles of Death Metal.
“At first we thought it was part of the show but we quickly understood,” he told AFP.
“They didn’t stop firing. There was blood everywhere, corpses everywhere. We heard screaming. Everyone was trying to flee.”
Janaszak and his friends hid in a toilet where they would spend the next two hours waiting for police to storm the building and rescue the survivors.
Around 80 people are believed to have died in the assault.
“They had 20 hostages, and we could hear them talking with them,” said Janaszak. “I clearly heard them say ‘It’s the fault of Hollande, it’s the fault of your president, he should not have intervened in Syria’. They also spoke about Iraq.”
The US president and other world leaders have condemned a series of coordinated attacks in the French capital Paris that has left more than 100 people dead.
In a statement late on Friday evening, Barack Obama said the attacks were an “outrageous attempt to terrorise civilians” and that his country was ready to provide France with any help it required.
“France is our oldest ally, the French people have stood by the American people time and again, we want to be very clear that we stand together with them in the fight against terrorism and extremism,” he said.
“We’re going to do whatever it takes to work with the French people and nations around the world to bring these terrorists to justice and to go after any terrorist networks that go after our people.”
Obama said he would not speculate on who was responsible for the attacks, which struck multiple locations across Paris, including the Stade France football stadium, where the French team was playing Germany in a friendly match, and the Bataclan art centre, where scores were shot dead.
A statement released by the US Department of Homeland Security said it was closely monitoring the situation in France but was not aware of “specific or credible threats of attack” on US territory.
Obama’s comments were echoed by David Cameron, British prime minister, and other world leaders, who took to social media to express their solidarity.
“I am shocked by events in Paris tonight. Our thoughts and prayers are with the French people. We will do whatever we can to help,” Cameron wrote in a tweet shortly after news of the attacks broke.
A statement by the German foreign office on behalf of Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was “deeply shocked” by the attack and conveyed her sympathy and solidarity.
Frank-Walter Steinmeier, German foreign minister, was pictured sitting next to French President Francois Hollande during the match at the Stade France.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also expressed his condemnation following the “horrible terrorist attacks”, sending his condolences to the French people and Hollande in a statement published by the Russian foreign ministry.
“Russia strongly condemns this inhumane killing and is ready to provide any and all assistance to investigate these terrorist crimes,” Putin said.
Justin Trudeau, the recently elected Canadian prime minister, said his government was offering its help to France and that he had discussed the security situation in his own country with officials.
“I’ve been speaking with our national security team to ensure everything is being done to keep people safe,” Trudeau said, according to the National Post newspaper.
Meanwhile, terrified survivors from the Paris concert hall targeted during Friday’s attacks have described running over bodies and hiding after gunmen stormed the venue and began executing rock fans with barrages of automatic gunfire.
Pierre Janaszak, a radio presenter, was sitting in the balcony at the Bataclan concert hall with his sister and friends when they heard shots from below about one hour into the concert by US rock band Eagles of Death Metal.
“At first we thought it was part of the show but we quickly understood,” he told AFP.
“They didn’t stop firing. There was blood everywhere, corpses everywhere. We heard screaming. Everyone was trying to flee.”
Janaszak and his friends hid in a toilet where they would spend the next two hours waiting for police to storm the building and rescue the survivors.
Around 80 people are believed to have died in the assault.
“They had 20 hostages, and we could hear them talking with them,” said Janaszak. “I clearly heard them say ‘It’s the fault of Hollande, it’s the fault of your president, he should not have intervened in Syria’. They also spoke about Iraq.”
