France at risk of chemical, bacterial warfare in Daesh fight: Prime minister
Gunfire and explosions shook the northern Paris suburb of Saint-Denis early Wednesday as heavily armed police stormed a building where suspects linked to Friday’s deadly terrorist attacks were believed to be holed up.
A young woman, initially identified as Abaaoud’s cousin, possibly blew herself up during the operation.
The French lower house of parliament voted on Thursday to extend its state of emergency, although the upper house must approve the measure before it is officially put in place.
“Time and again we have seen emergency measures extended and codified until they become part and parcel of the ordinary law, chipping steadily away at human rights”, said John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International’s director for Europe and Central Asia.
“I say this with the utmost care – but we know there may be a risk of the possibility of chemical and biological weapons”.
Analysts say the confirmation of his death will focus more attention on the European security services who, ahead of Friday’s attacks thought he was still in Syria.
He had been implicated in four thwarted French terror plots this year, France’s interior minister said, deploring the fact that no-one had flagged his presence in Europe.
France has destroyed 35 Islamic State targets in Syria since the Paris attacks, dropping 60 bombs on six IS positions, Islamic State command centers or training locations.
Suspected militant Salah Abdeslam, 26, returned home to Brussels from Paris after the attacks, when his elder brother Brahim blew himself up at a cafe.
He made the announcement in a speech to the Senate, which is expected to approve a three-month extension to France’s state of emergency.
“We must not rule anything out, there is also the risk from chemical or biological weapons”, Manuel Valls said on Thursday, though he did not cite any specific intelligence on such a threat.
Also Thursday, authorities in Belgium said they had detained nine people during as many raids in and around Brussels relating to the Paris attacks or one of the suicide bombers.
“That was important psychologically, but the continuing developments around the region, the news from Belgium, is not comforting to Parisians, knowing full well that the threat continues and that they should be prepared for further attacks”.
The measures include allowing the police to carry weapons when they are off duty and use them in the event of an attack.
President Francois Hollande declared a state of emergency and closed France’s borders within hours of the attacks.