French officials: Hostage-takers killed at twin standoffs

Gunshots were heard at printing plant northeast of Paris where two brothers suspected of killing 12 people in an Islamist attack on French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo held one person hostage. (AP)
By Anthony Faiola, Griff Witte and Brian Murphy January 9 at 3:05 PM
DAMMARTIN-EN-GOELE, France — Security forces launched coordinated assaults at twin hostage standoffs Friday, freeing most captives and killing three gunmen, including brothers suspected in France’s worst terrorist attack in generations.

The raids — which also left at least four hostages dead — capped days of bloodshed and tensions that put the country on its highest security footing and exposed apparent connections between the attackers and al-Qaeda’s branch in Yemen.

The attack on the offices of satirical French newspaper Charlie Hebdo is the deadliest in recent history. Here are some of the major terror attacks in France in the last two decades. (Davin Coburn and Jorge Ribas/The Washington Post)

French Officials Hostage-takers Killed at Twin Standoffs by Thavam Ratna