Charlie Hebdo: Gun attack on French magazine kills 12

Who:Gunmen 
When:Not given 
Where:At French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo 
Why:Not given
How:An apparent militant Islamist attack.

Gunmen have shot dead 12 people at the Paris office of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in an apparent militant Islamist attack.


Four of the magazine's well-known cartoonists, including its editor, were among those killed, as well as two police officers.


A major police operation is under way to find three gunmen who fled by car.


President Francois Hollande said there was no doubt it had been a terrorist attack "of exceptional barbarity".


It is believed to be the deadliest attack in France since 1961, when right-wingers who wanted to keep Algeria French bombed a train, killing 28 people.


The masked attackers opened fire with assault rifles in the office and exchanged shots with police in the street outside before escaping by car. They later abandoned the car in Rue de Meaux, northern Paris, where they hijacked a second car.


Witnesses said they heard the gunmen shouting "We have avenged the Prophet Muhammad" and "God is Great" in Arabic ("Allahu Akbar").


The number of attackers was initially reported to be two, but French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve later said security services were hunting three "criminals". He said that Paris had been placed on the highest alert.


French media have named the three other cartoonists killed in the attack as Cabu, Tignous and Wolinski, as well as Charlie Hebdo contributor and French economist Bernard Maris.


The attack took place during the magazine's daily editorial meeting.
At least four people were critically wounded in the attack.


Location:http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30710883


Key Words:

satirical magazine:諷刺雜誌
barbarity:野蠻
assault rifles:突擊步槍
hijacked:被劫持
Prophet Muhammad:先知穆罕默德
highest alert:最高警戒