The terrorist attacks in Paris, which took place in November 2015, completed ten years this Thursday (13). It was the deadliest attack in French history since World War II. The offensives, which were claimed by the Islamic State terrorist group, killed 130 people and injured 494 others.
The extremist cell attacked six different locations in the city, armed with assault rifles and explosives. The first explosion occurred after a suicide bomber blew himself up outside the Stade de France, in Saint-Denis, where a friendly match between the France team and Germany was taking place. More than 80,000 people were present at the event, including then French president François Hollande.
Over the next 33 minutes, two other explosions were recorded. One near the stadium’s H gate, in which only the terrorist died, and another in a McDonald’s franchise restaurant, where more than 50 people were injured, seven of them seriously.
Bataclan Show House
Another target of the offensive was the Bataclan concert hall. On that occasion, three men armed with rifles opened fire during a performance, resulting in more than 90 deaths in the establishment and outside. According to the police, the extremists had detailed plans of the location.
Many people tried to leave through the emergency exit, but one of the terrorists was covering the escape route. Witnesses stated that the men spoke fluent French and highlighted that France carried out bombings against the Islamic State with the help of the Americans.
Islamic State soldiers took hostages at the concert hall, who were only released after specialized agents invaded the place and carried out rescue operations. French media reported that the attackers were killed during the action and that at least one of them managed to detonate an explosive vest. Then-president François Hollande decreed a national state of emergency.
The attack generated a period of national mourning, with citizens taking flowers in honor of the victims of the attacks. In the following days, the French government responded by bombing a series of Islamic State targets in Syria and an aircraft carrier of the extremist group.
