The Paris Attacks: What We Know

Updated on November 14 at 5:00 p.m. ET

What we know so far:

—Paris prosecutor Francois Molins confirmed 129 people had been killed and another 352 were injured, with 99 in critical condition. French officials said seven attackers operated in three teams throughout the city.

—A Greek official is saying that a holder of a Syrian passport that was found at the scene of one of the attacks passed through the Greek island of Leros on October 3.

—Belgian police have arrested multiple people during a raid in a Brussels neighborhood related to the attacks, the country’s justice minister said.

—The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for multiple attacks in Paris.

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—President Francois Hollande called the attacks an “act of war” and said France’s response would be “merciless.” He declared a nationwide state of emergency late Friday.

—There were at least six attacks: the Bataclan concert hall; Stade de France (the national stadium), La Carillon bar in the  10th arrondissement, La Petit Cambodge in the 10th arrondissement, La Belle Equipe in the 11th arrondissement, and La Casa Nostra in the 11th arrondissement.

The Islamic State appears to be claiming responsibility for multiple attacks in Paris on Friday night that killed at least 129 people and wounded 359 others.

Here’s part of the statement from the group, translation for which was provided by SITE, which tracks militant organizations:

Let France and those who walk in its path know that they will remain on the top of the list of targets of the Islamic State, and that the smell of death will never leave their noses as long as they lead the convoy of the Crusader campaign, and dare to curse our Prophet, Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, and are proud of fighting Islam in France and striking the Muslims in the land of the Caliphate with their planes, which did not help them at all in the streets of Paris and its rotten alleys. This attack is the first of the storm and a warning to those who wish to learn.

Speaking on national television earlier Saturday, President Francois Hollande called Friday’s attacks an “an act of war … prepared and planned from the outside, with accomplices inside.”

He said France’s response will be “merciless against the terrorists.” Hollande declared three days of mourning for the victims, as France announced a series of security measure in the wake of the attacks, including the indefinite closing of the Eiffel Tower.

On Friday, as the attacks were unfolding and the scale of the carnage unclear, Hollande declared a nationwide state of emergency. The attacks are the worst violence on French soil since World War II, and the worst in Europe since 2004 when coordinated blasts on Madrid’s commuter train system killed 191 people. The attacks also came 10 months after two Islamist gunmen killed 11 people at the offices of the Paris-based Charlie Hebdo, the French satirical magazine. Several attacks around Paris that followed the Charlie Hebdo massacre killed an additional five people.

France was already on high alert following those attacks when the events of Friday night unfolded. There were attacks on two restaurants in the 10th arrondissement (at least 12 dead in gun attacks) and two on restaurants in the 11th arrondissement (at least 24 dead). The national stadium, where France was playing Germany in a soccer match, was also attacked (at least three attackers dead), as was the Bataclan concert venue, which was packed with fans of Eagles of Death Metal, a rock band from California (at least 80 dead).   

Francois Molins, the Paris prosecutor, said in all 129 people were killed and 352 injured, 99 of them critically. He said investigators believed seven attackers operated in three teams throughout the city.

He said camera footage had led investigators to two cars: a black Fiat and a black Volkswagen Polo with a Belgian license plate.

“This [Polo] vehicle was rented by a French citizen in Belgium,” he said, according to France 24. “This person was seen on a different vehicle, was checked by police in actually a third vehicle—neither the Polo nor the Fiat—[with] two other persons living in the area of Brussels. They were checked at the border between France and Belgium.”

Belgian police arrested multiple people in connection with the attack in a raid on a Brussels neighborhood, Koen Geens, the country’s justice minister, said.

Separately, Nikos Toskas, the Greek deputy minister for citizen protection, said in a statement the holder of a passport that was found at the scene of one of the attacks passed through the Greek island of Leros on October 3. Greece is the main gateway into Europe for Syrians and others fleeing civil war and other unrest in their homelands. Europe is seeing the most-severe migrant and refugee crisis since World War II, and critics say their flow into Europe poses a security threat.    

Victims

Nohemi Gonzalez, 23, a junior at California State University, Long Beach, was identified by the school as among the victims. She was in Paris attending Strate College of Design during a semester abroad program,  the school said.

The London School of Economics tweeted that Valentin Ribet, who graduated from the school in 2014, died in the attack. Ribet worked in Paris for the law firm Hogan Lovells. Ribet died at the Bataclan.

The Guardian identified two other victims, both French, as Djamila Houd, 41, and Thomas Ayad, 34, another victim of the attack on the Batalcan.

Spanish media identified another victim as Alberto González Garrido, 29.  He too was attending the concert at the Bataclan.

The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office said on Twitter that a Briton had been killed in the attacks. His family identified him as Nick Alexander. Alexander, they said, had been selling merchandise at the concert hall.

Reactions

Neighboring countries, including Italy and Belgium, said they were increasing security following the attacks, condemnation of which was near-universal.

The front pages from across France #Paris pic.twitter.com/MJxEpqO1Jz

— Philip Bromwell (@philipbromwell) November 14, 2015

Speaking in Vienna, where he is attending a meeting on the Syrian civil war, John Kerry, the U.S. secretary of state, called the attacks “vile, horrendous, outrageous.” British Prime Minister David Cameron vowed to do “whatever we can to help” France. “We are crying with you,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel said. “Together with you, we will fight against those who have carried out such an unfathomable act against you.” Pope Francis called the attacks part of a “piecemeal World War II,” and said “there is no religious or human justification for it.” On Friday night, even as the events were unfolding, President Obama called the situation “heartbreaking.”

Solidarity

Here’s a roundup of expressions of solidarity from social media with the people of France—from that country and elsewhere:

Best footage of a bad night: fans sing the French national anthem as they evacuate the Stade de France #ParisAttack pic.twitter.com/RBquueYTCL

— Tom Boadle (@TomBoadle) November 14, 2015

Sydney's Opera House, lit up in the colours of the French flag. @AFP @AFPphoto #ParisAttacks pic.twitter.com/qlvgeNFMZb

— Anthony Wallace (@AntAFP) November 14, 2015

In the wake of the tragedy in Paris, The #EmpireStateBuilding went dark at 10:00 PM/ET on Friday, November 13, 2015, in sympathy for Paris.

— Empire State Bldg (@EmpireStateBldg) November 14, 2015

The Oriental pearl Tower #TodosSomosParis pic.twitter.com/d0S6rRAYIZ

— Qingchen (@leinhado) November 14, 2015

One World Trade Center in #NYC lights up in blue, white and red to show solidarity with the people of France. #1WTC pic.twitter.com/XQieJbueyi

— CNBC (@CNBC) November 14, 2015

Americans use #StrandedInUS to open homes to strangers stuck after #ParisAttacks. https://t.co/ZPCPv9RrzG pic.twitter.com/SS318XQLre

— NBC Nightly News (@NBCNightlyNews) November 14, 2015

We will be updating this story as we learn more.