French Senate Approves 3-Month State Of Emergency

This is a developing story. More information will be added as it becomes available. For full coverage of the Paris attacks, click here.

Update: November 20, 3:00 p.m.: The French Senate has voted to extend its state of emergency for the next three months. The state of emergency will allow police to carry out arrests and warrantless searches, and allows authorities to restrict the movement of individuals and vehicles. It also allows for expanded internet and Web surveillance.

Update: November 19, 8:55 a.m.: The suspected mastermind of the Paris attacks, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, was killed during a police raid, French prosecutors told the Associated Press. The body of 27-year-old Abaaoud was reportedly found in an apartment that police raided in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis on Wednesday. Prosecutors said the body was identified using skin samples, although it is not clear how Abaaoud died. Authorities spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity as the investigation is ongoing.

Update: November 17, 8:35 a.m.: Two are dead and seven are under arrest following a raid on an apartment where authorities believe the man accused of orchestrating Friday's attacks in Paris was staying, the Associated Press reports. The status of Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the alleged mastermind of the attacks that left at least 129 dead, is unclear. Update: November 17, 2:50 a.m.: Police confirm the female suspect blew herself up with a suicide belt. A total of four officers have been injured.

Update: November 17, 2:35 a.m.: In addition to the male and female suspects who were killed, two suspects were taken into custody, and two police officers were injured during the operation. Police faced "unexpectedly violent resistance," according to the AP.

Update: November 17, 2:20 a.m.: Police report two suspects have been killed during the operation.

Update: November 17, 2:15 a.m.: Several reports indicate that the target of the raid is Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the alleged mastermind of the Friday's attacks. Schools, the main roadways, and metro stops in the area have been closed. Residents have been advised to stay in their homes, while others are being kept away from the area. A helicopter and several military trucks are in the area. While multiple explosions have been reported, the scene is currently quiet, though police tweeted that the operation is ongoing.

Update: November 17, 12:30 a.m.: Residents report “heavy shooting” in Saint Denis, a northern suburb of Paris, as a result of law enforcement action to apprehend a possible ninth suspect in last Friday's attacks, the BBC reports.

AFP News Agency reported earlier that a possible ninth suspect had been identified. Later, Le Figaro newspaper reported that the man took part in the drive-by shootings of cafe terraces from his place in a Seat car. Earlier Tuesday, a soccer game between Germany and Holland was cancelled due to “credible threats.”

Update: 12:54 p.m. As world leaders grapple with how to address the threat of ISIS, French President François Hollande called for a change in the country's constitution that would allow France to revoke the citizenship of convicted terrorists who have dual citizenship, according to The Associated Press. He also called for increased police and security measures.

Update: November 15, 4:30 p.m.:France has launched a series of air strikes against the Islamic State group. The French Defense Minister told The Associated Press on Sunday that the strikes were targeted at the IS stronghold city of Raqqa, in northern Syria. French officials said that 10 jets dropped 20 bombs, attacking an IS command and control center, a recruitment center, a munitions depot, and a training camp.

It also appears that senior Iraq intelligence officials warned members of the U.S.-led coalition fighting IS of an imminent attack one day before Friday’s deadly attacks. Iraqi intelligence sent a dispatch saying IS ordered an attack, through bombings or other methods, on coalition countries fighting against them in Syria. The AP has obtained a copy of the dispatch, and six Iraqi officials have confirmed the information, including intelligence that the Paris attackers were trained for this operation in Raqqa, Syria. Additionally, French police released information regarding a car they pulled over near the Belgian border hours after the attacks on Friday night. Salah Abdeslam, who is now the subject of a manhunt, was one of three people in the vehicle. This occurred hours after authorities already identified Abdeslam as the renter of a Volkswagen Polo that was found abandoned near the scene of an attack. Three French police officials and a top French security official, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, confirmed to The AP that officers stopped Abdeslam, checked his ID, and let him go.

Update: November 15, 3 p.m.:French police have released more details on the suspect for whom they are searching. He is a 26-year-old man named Abdeslam Salah, who they describe as dangerous. They tweeted a photo of Salah, which is below, and warned the public: “Do not intervene on your own, under any circumstances.”

Correction: An earlier version of this update set the death toll at 132, crediting information from the Paris public hospital system. That account of three new deaths actually included the 129 already accounted for. Update: November 15, 12:22 p.m.: The Associated Press reports there is a manhunt underway for a French man believed to be one of three brothers involved in the attacks. French security officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the man is suspected to be the one who rented a black Volkswagen Polo used by the hostage takers at the Bataclan concert hall. One of the suspect's brothers was killed during the attacks and the other was arrested in Belgium.

Update: November 15, 4 p.m.: Reuters is reporting that the White House has found “no specific or credible threat” to the United States. Last evening, additional security forces were deployed around New York City by the NYPD in an “abundance of caution,” despite the fact that there was no known connection between the Paris attacks and any threat to New York. One of the multiple attacks in Paris was at a music venue where an American band was scheduled to perform. Additionally, international flights to Paris are close to normal. In the aftermath of the attacks and while information was still coming in, many flights to Paris were either cancelled or rerouted. France has closed its borders after the attack, but airports and trains continue to operate. Update: November 14, 2:10 p.m.: In a televised press conference, Paris prosecutor François Molins confirmed that 129 people have been killed and another 352 people have been injured after several coordinated attacks in Paris. Of those injured, 99 are in critical condition. Molins also explained that there were at least three teams of attackers who were assigned to specific areas. Of those attackers, seven have been killed. "We have to find out where they came from...and how they were financed," Molins told reporters during the press conference. New details about the attackers have also emerged. Molins said that one of the attackers, who has not been publicly identified, is a French national born in 1985. This man had a criminal history that was known to the French police and “was considered a radicalized person,” according to Molins. Another attacker, who was killed near the national soccer stadium, was in possession of a Syrian passport. All of these alleged attackers were armed with explosive vests as well as “war-type weapons.” Molins thanked Belgian officials for their assistance in capturing alleged suspects with connections to the attacks. Molins also offered a sequence of events, which began at 9:20 p.m., when a suicide bomber detonated a vest outside of the soccer stadium. The attacks continued at multiple cafés throughout Paris and then led to the Bataclan concert hall, where more than 80 people were killed. Molins noted that the police are in the beginning phases of an ongoing investigation.

Update: 1:15 p.m.:At least one suspected attacker in Paris attempted to enter France’s national soccer stadium, which holds 80,000 people, with a purchased ticket, The Wall Street Journal reports. According to Zouheir, a security guard at Stade de France who was only willing to give his first name, the attacker’s explosive vest was discovered before he could enter. The attacker detonated the vest when he was approached by French police officers. A French police officer also confirmed that the attacker planned to use the vest to cause a stampede. France's president, François Hollande, was in the stadium when the vest exploded. He was quickly escorted out. One person was killed by the vest's explosion.

Update: 12:54 p.m.: A series of police raids in Brussels led to the arrest of several suspects who are a potential connection to the attacks in Paris, according to ABC News. A Belgian official told ABC News that “it was important to conduct operations in Brussels because of the ties they could potentially have here.” Koen Geens, Belgian’s justice minister, told Europe’s VRT network that the raids were conducted after a car with Belgian license plates was spotted near the Bataclan concert hall, which was a prominent site of attack on Friday evening. “There were arrests relating to the search of the vehicle and the person who rented it,” Geens told VRT. He also said that more than one suspect was detained in the raids.

In Lille, a city on the French-Belgium border, a vigil held in support of the victims of the Paris terror attacks turned sour as the gathered group clashed with anti-Islam demonstrators. A video posted to Twitter at about 12:30 p.m. local time was taken from an apartment overlooking the Place de la République in Lille, where the vigil was taking place. According to comments from the uploader, the vigil had been there for some time before an anti-Islam group appeared and began demonstrating. The video shows the crowd moving into the street, apparently driving out the anti-Muslim protesters to the chant of “dehors les fachos,” French slang for “Fascists, get out.”

Update: 12:15 p.m.: American officials confirmed to CNN that at least two Americans were injured in the attacks, and the official number is expected to rise. There are at least 180 injured in total, with about half of them in critical condition. In a press release from the State Department, Kerry said that “[the United States] intend[s] to do everything in our power not just to stand with the French, but to stand with all people of decency who know this is wrong, this is evil, and we need to stand up against it.” In a statement made in French, Kerry emphasized the alliance between France and the United States, calling it “our oldest ally.” Kerry also spoke of the need to stop terrorism at its root, citing America’s involvement in the Syrian civil war. State Department Spokesman Mark Toner told The Wall Street Journal that “the U.S. government is working closely with French authorities to identify American victims. We are aware there are Americans among the injured, and are offering them the full range of consular assistance."

Update: 9 a.m.:The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, issuing a series of statements on messaging systems used by the terror network, according to The New York Times. The communications, which have not been authenticated, called the Paris assault “the first of the storm." The United States confirmed on Saturday that Americans are among the injured. A State Department spokesman said the U.S. Embassy in Paris is working to identify the victims and help Americans impacted by the attacks, according to a statement published by ABC News.

Update: 5:55 a.m.:Hollande also blamed the Islamic State group for the Paris attacks, though he didn't specify what intelligence had supported that. "It is an act of war that was committed by a terrorist army, a jihadist army, Daesh, against France,” said Hollande, using an Arabic acronym for the I.S. “It is an act of war that was prepared, organized, and planned from abroad, with complicity from the inside, which the investigation will help establish.”

Update: 5:15 a.m.:President François Hollande has called yesterday's attacks an "act of war" in a live address. He confirmed that the death toll had risen to 127. Germany has offered France the use of its GSG9 anti-terror unit, Germany Interior Minister Thomas des Maiziere said in a statement to the AP. Chancellor Angela Merkel, meanwhile, has spoken out against the attacks, telling citizens that "freedom is stronger than terror."

Update: 12:30 a.m.:President Barack Obama has offered the American people’s condolences to French President François Hollande by phone. In a statement, the White House said: “President Obama spoke by phone this evening with President Hollande of France to offer the condolences of the American people for the horrific terrorist attacks in Paris earlier this evening. The president reiterated the United States' steadfast, unwavering support for the people of France, our oldest ally and friend, and reaffirmed the offer of any necessary support to the French investigation. The two leaders pledged to work together, and with nations around the world, to defeat the scourge of terrorism.” A U.S. official present in a Justice Department briefing says that there are still 70 U.S. citizens in France that have not yet been accounted for, per the AP. The same official says that the Justice Department was unaware of any possible threats made against Paris. However, no Americans have been reported dead. Facebook has also activated its Safety Check feature to allow people in Paris to report their status. The Eagles of Death Metal, the band performing at the Bataclan when the club was attacked, have been confirmed alive. Spontaneous vigils have appeared in several cities. In a show of solidarity, a group of New Yorkers sung "La Marseillaise" at Union Square.

Update: 11:45 p.m.:Eight attackers have been confirmed as killed; seven died after detonating their suicide devices. In a statement, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said, "This evening’s horrific and barbaric attacks in Paris were more than an attack on the nation or people of France. They were an assault on our common human dignity.”

Update: 10:05 p.m.:Paris police say that all of the attackers are dead, though they remain on the hunt for possible accomplices. The AP reports that attackers at the Bataclan blew themselves up with suicide belts as police closed in. Former Vice President Al Gore and Irish rock band U2 have both postponed scheduled live broadcasts from the city planned for this weekend.

Update: 9:15 p.m.: The FBI has said that there are no credible threats in the U.S., though several cities, including New York, have increased security precautions "out of an abundance of caution," according to the NYPD. The U.S. State Department is asking that Americans in need of information on loved ones in France call 888-407-4747 and that Americans in France needing assistance call 011-202-501-4444.

Update: 8:05 p.m.: Paris Deputy Mayor Patrick Klugman says that at least 118 are dead in the attacks. Visiting the scene of the attacks at the Bataclan, French President François Hollande said France will fight attackers "without mercy" and reports indicate that an additional 1,500 military personnel have been deployed in the city.

Update: 7:25 p.m.:Earlier reports indicated that 35 or more had died in attacks in the streets and at restaurants and bars. The death toll has been rising, however, as Agence France-Presse reports "around 100 people" have been killed at the Bataclan.

Update: 7:05 p.m.:The AP reports that the police siege on the Bataclan concert venue is over, with at least two attackers killed in the operation.

This story was originally published at 4:57 p.m. It has been updated multiple times with additional information from reports and officials. Dozens are reported dead in a series of attacks across Paris tonight. There have been multiple shootings, an explosion, and at least two suicide attacks near a stadium, a French police official told the Associated Press. The AP reports that at least 35 to 40 are dead. Other reports have put the death toll even higher. Hostages are reportedly being held at a popular concert hall in the capital city.

It is the worst violence seen in France in decades, according to multiple reports. French President François Hollande has declared a state of emergency and closed the country's borders. In a brief televised statement, the president said it is "a terrible, terrible event that is upon us."

"France needs to be strong and the state needs to be strong. We will be. We also must call for everyone to be responsible," he said, according to a translation provided by France24. "What the terrorists want is for us to be scared. There is something to be scared about, but in the face of terror we have to be united and we will vanquish these terrorists." Hollande said officials continue to deal with "very difficult" operations. He urged the country's citizens to keep the victims and their families in their thoughts. "We must in these harsh moments think about the victims, who are very numerous, for their families, for the wounded," he said. "We have to be compassionate. We have to be united and keep a [cool] head." Police issued a tweet urging people at home to "avoid leaving except for any case of absolute necessity." "To public establishments with public inside, please make use of entryways and lobbies and any available space to protect/take in those in need to avoid interrupting the protests and events occurring outside," police said. As many as seven separate incidents were reported across the city, according to French newspaper Le Monde. Locations included a restaurant where the AP reports at least 11 people were killed. Another shooting with multiple fatalities was reported at the Bataclan arts center, where hostages have been taken, according to the AP.

An explosion was also reported at a bar near the Stade de France stadium during a soccer match between France and Germany, according to the AP. An official later said there were two suicide attacks and at least one bombing near that site.

In a statement on the attacks, President Barack Obama pledged 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." “This is an attack not just on Paris, it’s an attack not just on the people of France, but this is an attack on all of humanity and the values we share,” Obama said. "We stand together with them in the fight against terror and extremism."