French president blames Islamic State for Paris attacks

PARIS, France – French President Francois Hollande on Saturday, November 14, blamed the Islamic State (ISIS) group for the attacks in Paris that left at least 128 dead and 180 injured, calling them an “act of war”.

The multiple attacks across the city late Friday were “an act of war… committed by a terrorist army, the Islamic State, against France, against…what we are, a free country,” Hollande said.

Witnesses said the attackers shouted “Allahu akbar” (“God is greatest”) and blamed France’s military intervention in Syria as they sprayed bullets into the crowd watching US rock band Eagles of Death Metal.

Pierre Janaszak, a radio presenter, and his friends hid in a toilet where they would spend the next two hours waiting for police to storm the building and rescue the survivors. (READ: Witnesses tell of ‘bloodbath’ at Paris rock concert)

“They had 20 hostages, and we could hear them talking with them,” said Janaszak.

“I clearly heard them say, ‘It’s the fault of Hollande, it’s the fault of your president, he should not have intervened in Syria’. They also spoke about Iraq.”

On September 27, France carried out its first air strikes against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group in Syria following nearly 3 weeks of surveillance flights.

The office of President Francois Hollande earlier said the strikes were aimed at targets identified during surveillance missions conducted since September 8. – Rappler.com