Saint-Denis Paris attacks raid: Recording captures female suicide bomber's exchange with police
French media identified the woman as the cousin of Abdelhamid Abaaoud but the reports have not been confirmed
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The moments before a female suicide bomber blew herself up as police raided a flat in Saint-Denis today have been recorded by a terrified resident.
French media named the woman as Hasna Aitboulahcen, the 26-year-old cousin of the suspected “mastermind” behind the Paris attacks, Abdelhamid Abaaoud.
He was the target of today’s operation in Saint-Denis, when Aitboulahcen died and at least one other extremist was shot dead as armed officers tried to enter a suspected hideout.
A resident’s video, given to TFI televison, did not show the exchange but clearly caught the sound carrying through the darkness at around 4.30am.
“Where is your boyfriend, where is he?” a police officer can be heard shouting.
A female voice, thought to be Aitboulahcen, replies: “He's not my boyfriend.”
She repeats the denial a second time a second before a loud explosion is heard, believed to be her detonating her explosive vest.
Loud and sustained gunfire then breaks out, reportedly between police and militants inside the property.
A statement from the public prosecutor’s office said a woman blew herself up shortly after the start of the operation at 4.20am local time.
Three men were arrested from inside the property and a man and a woman allegedly “hiding nearby” were also detained, alongside the man who rented the flat and an acquaintance.
Officials reportedly told Reuters and France’s RTL radio stations that the suspected terror cell was preparing to launch new attacks on Paris’ La Defense business district as early as Thursday.
Francois Molins said information from tapped telephone conversations, surveillance and witness accounts led police to raid the apartment in their hunt for Abaaoud.
He did not confirm the Isis militant’s fate but unconfirmed reports in France claimed remains of a third body may have been discovered inside the building following the raid.
Abaaoud was already wanted by French and Belgian authorities for planning a string of failed terror attacks on a train, church and to behead police in Belgium.
Seven of the attackers who killed 129 people in Paris died on Friday night but a suspected eighth gunman, Salah Abdeslam, is still on the loose and French authorities said a ninth unidentified suspect could be at large last night.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments