Partying turns to terror
THE barbarous attacks in Paris on Friday night, carried out by at least seven militants, had, according to the terrorist group behind them, been directed at Paris as “the capital of abominations and perversions”.
Militants from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis) “meticulously selected” their targets, focusing on a stadium with tens of thousands of football fans and a series of venues in one of the most vibrant areas of the city.
The first attacks were launched simultaneously, at just after 11.20pm SA time.
First, two explosions close to the Stade de France were heard 10 minutes apart inside the stadium, where France were playing Germany in a friendly.
The first explosion, a suicide bombing, was at an entrance to the stadium. Last night a guard identified as Zouheir (his first name) told a newspaper that an explosive vest was found on the attacker as he was frisked trying to enter with a ticket.
While trying to back away from security officers the militant detonated his vest, the guard said. A second militant is believed to have blown himself up a few minutes later.
The explosions came as a large crowd, including French president François Hollande, were enjoying the first half of the match.
One person was killed in addition to the suicide bombers. As chaos began to unfold outside the stadium, Hollande was evacuated by his security team as the match continued.
Meanwhile, a team of gunmen are believed to have arrived by car at the Right Bank area of central Paris, where they opened fire on the Petit Cambodge Cambodian restaurant in rue Bichat, and the Le Carillon bar on the other side of the road.
With devastating coolness they gunned down diners and revellers at the two venues, killing 15 and sending a shockwave of terror through an area being enjoyed by many on their Friday night out. A number of doctors from the nearby Hôpital Lariboisière were said to have been drinking at Le Carillon after their shifts.
“These are places and streets that burst with life on a Friday evening,” said Manu Saadia, a local writer. “It is where young and hip Parisians gather to drink and socialise.”
“These are ordinary neighbourhood joints where you meet your buddies for a quick ‘demi’ of watery French beer or a snack before going out somewhere else,” Saadia added.
Some of the people were drunk — it was after all a Friday night — and they didn’t understand what was going on. I said: ‘Get out of here, get inside’
The militants’ next target would also fit this description.
According to a policeman at the scene yesterday, they then returned to their vehicle, said to be a black car with Belgian numberplates. A young woman told Le Monde she spotted a “very young” man — 18 to 20 years old — in the front seat.
Less than 10 minutes later they opened fire on diners at the Casa Nostra pizzeria, shooting 20 and killing at least five.
Phillipe, an elderly man who saw the attack from his flat window, said: “What was so chilling was that, once the men got back into their car after gunning