Suspected Paris Attacks Mastermind Killed

The suspected mastermind behind the Paris attacks last Friday was killed on Wednesday. Authorities confirmed that Abdelhamid Abaaoud, who was also linked to at least four foiled attacks, was killed during a police raid.

Authorities added that his cousin was also killed after she blew herself up. Abaaoud was linked to the plan to kill the passengers of a train bound for Paris in August. The plan was foiled with the help of three young Americans. The office of the French prosecutor identified Abaaoud through skin samples following a raid at a Saint-Denis apartment.

Authorities conducted another raid at a house in Charleville-Mezieres, a city located in eastern France. Police were looking for any evidence linking to terror networks during the Thursday raid. However, no other details were revealed by police spokeswoman Mathilde Coulon.

Prior to his death, the suspected mastermind of the Paris attacks claimed that he was able to move in and out of Europe to coordinate terror attacks. Abaaoud also said he was able to escape a police raid in January at the Belgian city of Verviers. He said he was able to escape even though numerous intelligence agencies were chasing him. While the death of Abaaoud is considered a major breakthrough for investigators, it also opened the possibility that a number of other senior suspects are still at large.

Abdelhamid Abaaoud was described as the “Mohammed Atta” of the attacks in Paris. He was considered as the tactician who organized the operatives for the Paris attacks. However, his experience and skills showed he was not a strategic planner, which is similar to the lead hijacker of the 9/11 attacks in the United States. Republican Michael McCaul, House Homeland Security Committee chairman, said the attacks in Paris consisted of numerous layers of plots involving at least twenty individuals.

The operation against Abaaoud was launched based on information from surveillance, tips and tapped calls. The information indicated that the suspected mastermind of the Paris attacks was hiding inside the apartment. However, how he died remained uncertain. The raid also resulted to the arrest of eight individuals.

French interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve said officials were not aware he was already in Europe prior to the massacre. Cazeneuve asked Europe to do everything in its power to defeat terrorism. A police official revealed that one officer approached Hasna Aitboulahcen, the cousin of Abaaoud, and asked about the location of her boyfriend. However, Aitboulahcen angrily said that he is not her boyfriend before she blew herself up. Formal identification of the remains became difficult since the recovered bodies were mangled. The role of Aitboulahcen in the Paris attacks also remained uncertain.

Suspected Paris Attacks Mastermind Killed - image credit: mirror.co.uk

Last year, the sister of Abaaoud, Yasmina, said the death of her brother is a relief for both Europeans and the family of Abaaoud. During this time, reports indicated that he died when he fought for ISIS, but these reports were proven untrue since he was able to escape Syria and went to Europe.

Omar, the father of Abaaoud, said his family was dishonored by his son. Interior Minister Jorge Fernandez Diaz of Spain said Abaaoud used social networks in his attempt to recruit Spanish women to join ISIS. The hunt for other suspects of the Paris attacks continued. Authorities said one of the suspects is Salah Abdeslam, who lived in Molenbeek , Brussels where Abaaoud grew up.

Diaz said it remains uncertain if Abdeslam was able to escape to Spain. He added that security officials from a number of European countries came together in Paris to talk about the possibility that Abdeslam may leave France and enter a neighboring country.

A bulletin released by French authorities asked European authorities to keep an eye out for a Citroen car that may have been used by Abdeslam. Nine people were detained by authorities in raids in Brussels in connection to the Paris attacks. Seven of the detentions were linked to the Bilal Hafdi, one of the stadium suicide bombers. The two other detentions were linked to the massacre last Friday.

However, no details were revealed about two of the detainees linked to the Paris attacks. The two are currently charged with belonging to a terrorist group and terrorist murder. The attack on Friday killed and wounded hundreds of people, which left the entire world on edge. Prime Minister Manuel Valls of France is seeking an extension of the state of emergency from parliament. A vote on extending the state of emergency in the country was already scheduled by the French Senate.

A state of emergency extends the powers of police in carrying out searches and arrests. It also allows authorities to people and vehicles from moving in specific locations and times.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey urged Muslim countries to unite in going against extremist groups following the Paris attacks. He said it is the responsibility of Islamic countries to united and demonstrate a moral and definite position against Al Qaeda, the Islamic State and Boko Haram. He added that it is necessary for countries to deal with poverty, which is a place where terrorism breeds.

Posted by James Fried on Friday November 20 2015, 9:46 AM EST. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0