15 Nov 2015

Deadly assault in Paris concert hall

12:20 am on 15 November 2015

For the first time since World War Two, Paris is under a curfew after a wave of co-ordinated attacks by gunmen and suicide bombers killed at least 120 people in Paris.

The French President Francois Hollande says 127 people were killed in what he is calling an unprecedented terrorist attack.

At least 180 have been injured, 99 critically.

Read More: Paris attacks - What we know

The most damage was carried out as a rock concert was about to end.

Officials says four gunmen systematically slaughtered more than 80 young people at the Bataclan music hall and took dozens hostage.

Three of the four gunmen detonated explosive belts when they were overrun by anti-terrorist commandos, the fourth was shot dead.

In total eight attackers are reported to have been killed around Paris, including seven by their suicide belts.

The police believe all of the gunmen are now dead but it is not clear if any accomplices are still on the run .

'It was a bloodbath'

French Radio reporter Julien Pearce told CNN the rock concert was about to end when gunmen started shooting randomly into the crowd.

"So obviously we all lied down on the floor to not get hurt and it was a huge panic and the terrorists shot at us for like 10 to 15 minutes, it was a bloodbath.

"It was very very long and the Bataclan is not a huge concert room it's about 1000 people can gather in it but it was overcrowded, it was sold out basically ... so it was easy for them."

Julien Pearce described the horror of seeing people being shot in cold blood by gunmen armed with AK47 rifles.

"They were just standing at the back of the scene [theatre] ... and I seen one of the guys very young actually he was like ... maximum 20 years old and he was executing people on the floor."

Julien Pearce said he managed to escape while the gunmen were re-loading.

An unprecedented attack

About 40 more people were killed in five other attacks in Paris, including outside the national stadium.

Three busy restaurants and a bar were targeted by gunmen armed with Kalashnikovs.

Several explosions went off near the Stade de France during a friendly football match against Germany.

The French government has described the violence as the worst since the World War II.

French president Francois Hollande (5-R) addresses an emergency meeting at the Elysee Palace early on November 14, 2015.

French president Francois Hollande (five from right) addresses an emergency meeting at the Elysee Palace. Photo: AFP

The President spoke outside the Bataclan Concert Hall after the attacks.

"We wanted to be here among all those who saw these atrocious things to say that we are going to fight and our fight will be merciless because these terrorists that are capable of such atrocities need to know that they will be confronted by a France that is determined, unified and pulled together.

"And a France that will not let itself be overawed even if today it is expressing an infinite amount of emotion at this drama and this tragedy which was an abomination and a barbaric act."

An explosion was heard during the football game, as seen in this video.

Fans were reportedly staying inside the football stadium, not wanting to head outside after hearing the explosion.

A video shows the moments following the explosion at the stadium.

Some photos posted on Twitter showed chaos on the streets of Paris.

A map pinpoints the locations of the shootings and explosion

- BBC / CNN / WIRES

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