François Hollande, Barack Obama, Xi Jinping and others on the atrocities.
The full scale of the horrific attacks in Paris is becoming clear this morning. At least 120 people are thought to have been killed in six co-ordinated shootings and bombings, with a further 200 injured, 80 of them seriously. The eight attackers are also dead, seven of them after detonating their suicide belts. The deadliest assault took place at the Bataclan concert venue where 87 people are reported to have died. No one has yet claimed responsibility.
Here's how political leaders have responded.
François Hollande
In a televised address, the French President said:
My dear compatriots,
As I speak, terrorist attacks of unprecedented proportions are underway in the Paris area. There are dozens killed, there are many injured. It is a horror.
We have, on my decision, mobilised all forces possible to neutralise the terrorists and make all concerned areas safe. I have also asked for military reinforcements. They are currently in the Paris area, to ensure that no new attack can take place.
I have also called a cabinet meeting that will be held in a few minutes.
Two decisions will be taken: a state of emergency will be declared, which means that some places will be closed, traffic may be banned , and there will also be searches which may be decided throughout Ile de France. The state of emergency will be proclaimed throughout the territory.
The second decision I have made is to close the borders. We must ensure that no one enters to commit any crimes and that those who have committed the crimes that we have unfortunately seen can also be arrested if they should leave the territory.
This is a terrible ordeal which once again assails us. We know where it comes from, who these criminals are, who these terrorists are.
In these difficult moments, we must - and I'm thinking of the many victims, their families and the injured - show compassion and solidarity. But we must also show unity and calm.
Faced with terror, France must be strong, it must be great and the state authorities must be firm. We will be.
We must also call on everyone to be responsible.
What the terrorists want is to scare us and fill us with dread. There is indeed reason to be afraid. There is dread, but in the face of this dread, there is a nation that knows how to defend itself, that knows how to mobilise its forces and, once again, will defeat the terrorists.
French citizens, we have not completed the operations. There are still some that are extremely difficult. It's at this moment that the security forces are staging an assault, especially in a place in Paris.
I ask you to keep all your trust in what we can do with the security forces to protect our nation from terrorist acts.Long live the Republic and long live France.
Good evening, everybody. I just want to make a few brief comments about the attacks across Paris tonight. Once again, we’ve seen an outrageous attempt to terrorize innocent civilians. This is an attack not just on Paris, it’s an attack not just on the people of France, but this is an attack on all of humanity and the universal values that we share.
We stand prepared and ready to provide whatever assistance that the government and the people of France need to respond. France is our oldest ally. The French people have stood shoulder to shoulder with the United States time and again. And we want to be very clear that we stand together with them in the fight against terrorism and extremism.
Paris itself represents the timeless values of human progress. Those who think that they can terrorize the people of France or the values that they stand for are wrong. The American people draw strength from the French people’s commitment to life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. We are reminded in this time of tragedy that the bonds of liberté and égalité and fraternité are not only values that the French people care so deeply about, but they are values that we share. And those values are going to endure far beyond any act of terrorism or the hateful vision of those who perpetrated the crimes this evening.
We’re going to do whatever it takes to work with the French people and with nations around the world to bring these terrorists to justice, and to go after any terrorist networks that go after our people.
We don’t yet know all the details of what has happened. We have been in contact with French officials to communicate our deepest condolences to the families of those who have been killed, to offer our prayers and thoughts to those who have been wounded. We have offered our full support to them. The situation is still unfolding. I’ve chosen not to call President Hollande at this time, because my expectation is that he’s very busy at the moment. I actually, by coincidence, was talking to him earlier today in preparation for the G20 meeting. But I am confident that I’ll be in direct communications with him in the next few days, and we’ll be coordinating in any ways that they think are helpful in the investigation of what’s happened.
This is a heartbreaking situation. And obviously those of us here in the United States know what it’s like. We’ve gone through these kinds of episodes ourselves. And whenever these kinds of attacks happened, we’ve always been able to count on the French people to stand with us. They have been an extraordinary counterterrorism partner, and we intend to be there with them in that same fashion.
I’m sure that in the days ahead we’ll learn more about exactly what happened, and my teams will make sure that we are in communication with the press to provide you accurate information. I don’t want to speculate at this point in terms of who was responsible for this. It appears that there may still be live activity and dangers that are taking place as we speak. And so until we know from French officials that the situation is under control, and we have for more information about it, I don’t want to speculate.
Thank you very much.
David Cameron
The Prime Minister tweeted:
I am shocked by events in Paris tonight. Our thoughts and prayers are with the French people. We will do whatever we can to help.
— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) November 13, 201
Jeremy Corbyn
The Labour leader tweeted:
My thoughts are with the people of Paris tonight. We stand in solidarity with the French. Such acts are heinous and immoral.
— Jeremy Corbyn MP (@jeremycorbyn) November 13, 2015
Xi Jinping
The Chinese president said: "At the sorrowful moment of the French people, I, on behalf of the Chinese government and the Chinese people, and personally, condemn in the strongest terms the barbaric acts."
Angela Merkel
The German Chancellor said: "My thoughts in these hours are with the victims of these apparently terrorist attacks, their relatives, and all people in Paris,” Ms. Merkel said in a statement. “The German government is in contact with the French government and has expressed the sympathy and solidarity of the people in Germany."
Justin Trudeau
The Canadian prime minister told reporters: "It is still very early moments in figuring out what is indeed happening as we speak right now on the ground in France. It's too soon to jump to any conclusions. But obviously, governments have a responsibility to keep their citizens safe while defending our rights and freedoms. And that balance is something that the Canadian government and indeed all governments around the world will be focusing on."
Malcolm Turnball
The Australian prime minister said: "Our thoughts and prayers are with them at this terrible time. But our solidarity is with them too. When the French people left the stadium after that shocking attack, they were not cowed. They sang their national anthem proudly and that is how all free people should respond to these assaults.”
"In France, and Australia, all around the world, we stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of France and with all free peoples in the battle against terrorism."
Benjamin Netanyahu
The Israel prime minister said: “Israel stands shoulder to shoulder with French President Francois Hollande and with the people of France in our common battle against terrorism.”
Ashraf Ghani
The Afghan president said: "The brutal attacks in Paris prove that global terrorism does not recognise borders. The Afghan people have for many years been the victims of terrorist attacks. They feel the pain of Parisians, and share the grief of the victims’ families. The people of Afghanistan stand with France on this terrible day. Terrorism is a serious threat to the entire world and we are united in the struggle."