French officials said Wednesday that a secret raid has been successful in killing a suspected ringleader of the Paris attacks.
The ISIS leader was hiding in an apartment in northern Paris, which brings up concerns about how such a wanted and dangerous man could be hiding in the center of what should have been a very closely monitored and policed area.
The raid killed two, and though the identity of those killed has not yet been officially released by the French government, officials anonymously told the press that one of the dead was Abdelhamid Abaaoud, a Belgian extremist who had been living in Syria for the past year. Over 100 officers and soldiers stormed the building where Abaaoud was staying.
It is unclear at this point if police killed Abaaoud or if he detonated a suicide bomb.
In the apartment building where Abaaoud was killed, police were able to gather important information about Friday’s attacks including how they were coordinated and where other safe houses were located. Police say that the information gathered was further proof that a large ISIS-led group carried out the terrorist attacks.
Clearly, the French government is extremely serious about locating the perpetrators of the horrendous crimes committed in their capital and we can expect to see continued efforts to track down those involved.
Read more at The Washington Post “Suspected architect of Paris attacks is dead, according to two senior intelligence officials.”
