According to a few sources, he and one of the attackers were known to Belgian authorities.
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The French defence ministry said 10 French planes had dropped 20 bombs, destroying a commando position where munitions were stored, as well as a training camp for terrorists.
France “remains the main target of Islamic State … for having led the crusade, dared to insult our prophet, boasted of fighting Islam in France and for striking Muslims in the caliphate with their planes”, the statement said.
Meanwhile, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said “war” had been declared on France, and that “Anybody who attacks the Republic, the Republic will fight back”. Abaaoud had been fighting with ISIS in Syria, officials said.
The other suspects include Sami Amimour, just identified Monday morning, who allegedly attacked the concert hall. More than 350 people were injured, almost 100 with critical injuries.
French President Francois Hollande said the attacks were “planned in Syria, prepared and organised in Belgium and perpetrated on our soil with French complicity”. Two more attackers have been named, added to the five already identified. Believed to have been the logistics man, he rented one of the cars they used, which was towed away from near the Bataclan concert hall for forensic testing.
Abdeslam became Europe’s most wanted man after France issued an global arrest warrant for him, warning the public “absolutely” not to approach him.
Another suicide bomber found outside the soccer stadium had the passport of Ahmad Al Mohammed, 25, of Idlib, Syria. The prosecutor’s office says fingerprints from the attacker match the passport, which passed through Greece in October. Mostefai had a record of petty crime in France and had been identified by police as “radicalised”.
At least one key suspect is on the loose. Assailants involved in both the Charlie Hebdo attacks and the train 2004 bombings in Madrid were reportedly connected to the Molenbeek neighborhood.
Omar Ismail Mostefai, 29, from near Paris – died in Bataclan attack.
ISIL purportedly claimed responsibility for the attacks shortly after the incident but has not revealed the identities of the attackers.
France, countries across Europe and participants at the G20 summit in Turkey marked a minute of silence at 11:00 GMT in memory of the Paris attacks’ victims.
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said the attacks were coordinated from Syria.
“He grew up here, studied here, he is a totally normal lad”.
We hope this breakthrough helps to catch the attacker still at large.
All these French and Iraqi security and intelligence officials spoke with the AP on condition of anonymity, citing the ongoing investigation.
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The French citizen had been known to police for his alleged links to armed groups but had not been previously linked to violent activities. All three gunmen in the January attacks on the Charlie Hebdo newspaper and a kosher supermarket in Paris were French.
