Paris attacks: The Belgian connection

Crowds gather to enter Notre-Dame Cathedral for a memorial service this evening, following the terrorist attacks on Friday.

In a message to parishioners, the cardinal said: ‘Our country knows the pain of mourning and must face barbarity propagated by fanatical groups’. They believe that another of the assailants may also have passed through Greece from Turkey alongside Syrian refugees fleeing the country’s civil war. The jets launched from sites in Jordan and the Persian Gulf, in coordination with USA forces. The attacks wounded 350 people, 99 of them seriously. The French described Friday’s atrocities as “our 9/11”.

They checked his identification, but it’s not known whether they had been informed of his apparent connection to the attacks.

In all, three teams of attackers including seven suicide bombers attacked the national stadium, the concert hall and nearby nightspots.

Although he was born in Brussels, French authorities said he was a French national.

– The game was being watched by 80,000 spectators, among them was President Francois Hollande who had to be evacuated from the stadium.

The explosions marked the first-ever suicide bombings on French soil. At the Bataclan, the attackers were overheard speaking about both places. At least 19 people died after the terrace was sprayed with bullets at 8.38pm GMT. The attackers then drove off.

The only British fatality confirmed so far is Nick Alexander, 36, from Colchester, who was selling merchandise for rock group Eagles of Death Metal when their concert at the Bataclan was targeted.

As police stormed the venue, two of the gunmen blew themselves up, while the third was shot by police.

Earlier on Saturday, Syrian President Bashar Assad said French policy had contributed to the “spread of terrorism” that culminated in the Paris attacks, which have been claimed by ISIS.

Abdeslam rented the black Volkswagen Polo used by the hostage-takers, another French security official said.

One of three attackers who died at the Stade de France after detonating suicide belts has been named in media reports as Bilal Hadfi, aged about 20.

Omar Ismael Mostefai: The 29-year old French national was the first attacker to be publicly identified by French authorities. He was known to police and had previous convictions. He was identified through tests on his severed finger.

A Moroccan 30-year-old who had attended the mosque since 2010 said he had never heard of any radical preachers there or heard of Mostefai.

The mayor of Chartres, Jean-Pierre Gorges, said: “The question is whether there is a cell in Chartres or whether Mostefai was an isolated individual with other Belgian networks or others”.

– French police are still hunting for two gunmen on the run and an ISIS bombmaker likely to have made the suicide vests.

It came as streets, parks and supermarkets were unusually empty as mourners chose to stay home either to express their grief or because of security reasons. Disneyland Paris was shut down until Wedneday and Paris’ iconic Eiffel Tower was also closed to the public.

Flowers were laid and candles lit at the Place de Republique, Paris.

Clues and evidence appeared to be piling up Sunday.

But many leaders seem to agree that Friday’s attacks in Paris mean the threat to many Western countries has increased.

Authorities held two Belgians suspected of taking part in the attacks as the terror probe continues, Interior Affairs Minister Jan Jambon said on VTM television. While it was unclear whether the attacker was the person to whom the passport had been issued, the disclosure heightening longstanding fears that terrorists are following the paths of refugees and infiltrating Europe.

In May this year, The Mail on Sunday revealed the concerns of security analysts that Islamic State extremists were being smuggled into Europe among refugees crossing the Mediterranean.

Despite United States media reports, there is no proof any had a ticket to the game, investigation sources say. The destination programmed into his satnav system was Paris but officers failed to alert anti-terror police.

French intelligence and security services had been reorganised in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo massacres, which left 16 dead in January.

He said that more than 150 police raids have been carried out since Friday across France under the state of emergency.

The day before the attacks, senior Iraqi intelligence officials warned France and other members of the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State that assaults by the militant group could be imminent, according to a dispatch obtained by the AP.

A few are concerned they will prompt a backlash against France’s overwhelmingly moderate Muslim community.