A raid performed by French police on Friday evening took out both Kouachi brothers behind the brutal massacre at Wednesday’s attack at French satirical publication Charlie Hebdeo. Cherif and Said Kouachi, 32 and 34 respectively, barricaded themselves in a printing business in Dammartin-en-Goele.
The Kouachi brothers are suspected to have ties to Al Qaeda in Yemen. Military experts viewing footage of the aftermath of the scene at the Charlie Hebdo offices said that the radicals appeared to be well trained.
The Kouachi brothers kept one hostage holed up in the printing facility, leaving French authorities surrounding the area for hours after having evacuated the perimeter of all residents.
Cherif and Said Kouachi are believed to have initiated the first move by exiting the with their weapons fully engaged.
Fully automatic, sustained gunfire could be heard for about 2 to 3 minutes.
Military analysts report the sound of the gunfire was consistent with automatic fire from the AK-47 rifle.
The Kouachi brothers initiated this move before sundown.
Following the gunfire, a series of three to four explosions were heard followed by more gunfire. The origin of the explosions has not been confirmed at this time. It was at this time that the assault had concluded.
The hostage, still unidentified, was released safely and Cherif and Said Kouachi have been reported dead.
Police in Paris said that Amedy Coulibaly (top image, right) is believed to have known the Kouachi brothers and is suspected of killing Paris Police Officer Clarissa Jean Philippe on Thursday.
Almost immediately following the assault operation at the printing facility, a number of hostages made their way to safety out of a Jewish kosher market in an eastern part of Paris. The market was taken under siege by Amedy Coulibaly and 26-year-old accomplice Hayat Boumeddiene.
Reports indicate that four hostages were killed, another four – believed to be civilians – were injured, and three policemen were injured. Accomplice Hayat Boumeddiene is reportedly on the loose after escaping unnoticed during the commotion.
