No Armenians among victims of Paris terror attacks

PanARMENIAN.Net - Preliminary data suggest no Armenians were among the over 120 victims of the terror attacks in different locations across Paris, the Ministry of Emergency Situations said in a statement.

According to the Deputy Ambassador of Armenia to France Vahe Vahramyan, the French authorities are currently working to identify the victims and the survivors.

Meanwhile, President Serzh Sargsyan expressed condolences to his French counterpart Francois Hollande over the terror attacks in Paris.

“I am deeply shocked by the unprecedented terror attacks in Paris and strongly condemn the horrible actions that claimed a number of innocent lives,” Sargsyan said in a cable. “I am confident that the whole civilized world will join the fight against this crime that befell to all of us. We can't let violence, intolerance and extremism rule in this world.”

Expressing deep condolences to the French President, the people of France and the victims’ families and friends, President Sargsyan said Armenia is there for France, always ready to fully support it in this hour of mourning.

Gunmen and bombers attacked restaurants, a concert hall and a sports stadium at locations across Paris on Friday, November 13, killing at least 120 people in a deadly rampage that a shaken President Francois Hollande called an unprecedented terrorist attack.

A Paris city hall official said four gunmen systematically slaughtered at least 87 young people attending a rock concert at the Bataclan music hall. Anti-terrorist commandos eventually launched an assault on the building. The gunmen detonated explosive belts and dozens of shocked survivors were rescued.

Some 40 more people were killed in five other attacks in the Paris region, the city hall official said, including an apparent double suicide bombing outside the national stadium, where Hollande and the German foreign minister were watching a friendly soccer international. Some 200 people were injured.

The coordinated assault came as France, a founder member of the U.S.-led coalition waging air strikes against Islamic State fighters in Syria and Iraq, was on high alert for terrorist attacks ahead of a global climate conference due to open later this month.

Paris Public Prosecutor Francois Molins said the death toll was at least 120. His spokeswoman said eight assailants had also died, seven of whom had blown themselves up with explosive belts at various locations, while one had been shot dead by police.