Gunmen kill 12 staffs of newspaper responsible for mocking Mohammed

oge okonkwo

January 7, 2015 5:06 PM

The gunmen were heard shouting 'the Prophet has been avenged' and 'Allahu akbar!' as they walked round the building.

Twelve people were killed today when gunmen suspected to be Islamists carried out a 'massacre' at the offices of a satirical newspaper - popular for controversial Prophet Mohammed cartoons.

Reports say three masked men brandishing Kalashnikovs burst into the Charlie Hebdo headquarters, opening fire on staff after seeking out journalists by name.

They were heard shouting 'the Prophet has been avenged' and 'Allahu akbar!' as they walked round the building.

Those executed included four of the most famous cartoonists in France – men who had regularly satirised Islam and the Prophet Mohammed – including the newspaper's editor-in-chief, Stephane Charbonnier.

Mr Charbonnier was included in a 2013 Wanted Dead or Alive for Crimes Against Islam article published by Inspire, the terrorist propaganda magazine published by Al Qaeda.

Cartoonists Cabu, Tignous and Wolinski were all also reported dead.

Despite a shoot-out with armed officers, the 'calm and highly disciplined' men who reportedly spoke perfect French were able to escape in a hijacked car and remain on the loose.

By midday, there were reports of up to 12 people dead and 10 wounded, four critically, including journalists, administrative staff, and police officers who attended the scene.

President Francois Hollande described the massacre as a 'barbaric attack against France and against journalists' and vowed to hunt down those responsible.

oge okonkwo