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Boumeddiene may have been in Turkey at time of French terror attacks

It is believed the woman is now in Syria.

Updated 8.15pm

ONE OF THE  key accomplices of the gunmen responsible for three days of terror attacks may have been in Turkey at the time of the attacks, it has emerged.

Hayat Boumeddiene — the partner of the attacker behind yesterday’s siege at a Jewish supermarket in Paris — was today being hunted by French police.

However it is now understood the woman may be in Syria with sources telling AFP that she was in Turkey at the time of the attacks. It is tbelieved she arrived in Turkey before the killings and then fled to Syria.

Police handout Police handout

“She entered Turkey on January 2,” a source said, adding that she was believed to have moved on to the southeastern Turkish city of Sanliurfa and then to Syria but there was “no concrete data” to prove it.

The source said Turkey did not arrest her because of a lack of intelligence from France. “We do not have the luxury to prevent everyone entering without intelligence sharing,” the source said.

Members of the French government meet this morning to decide on new measures aimed at thwarting a repeat of the attacks, which culminated in a massacre of 12 people at a satirical newspaper, and yesterday’s supermarket attack — which left four hostages dead.

World leaders have phoned President Francois Hollande to express their personal sympathies. Tomorrow, Germany’s Angela Merkel, Britain’s David Cameron as well as Italy’s Matteo Renzi, and Spain’s Mariano Rajoy have agreed to join in a unity rally in central Paris.

With explosions and gunfire, security forces yesterday ended the three days of terror, killing the two al-Qaida-linked brothers who staged a murderous rampage at the Charlie Hebdo newspaper and an accomplice — Amedy Coulibaly — who seized hostages at the kosher supermarket to try to help the brothers escape.

A body is wheeled away from the kosher grocery store. Francois Mori / AP/Press Association Images Francois Mori / AP/Press Association Images / AP/Press Association Images

Twenty people are dead, including the three gunmen.

Boumeddiene — the common law wife of Coulibaly — was said to be with him when a policewoman was killed in Paris on Thursday but this is now not believed to be the case.

Al-Qaida’s branch in Yemen said it directed the attack against the publication Charlie Hebdo to avenge the honor of the Prophet Muhammad, a frequent target of the weekly’s satire.

The brothers, Cherif and Said Kouachi —- shot dead yesterday as they came out of a warehouse shooting at police —- were not unknown to authorities: one had a terrorism-related conviction for ties to a network sending fighters to battle American forces in Iraq, and both were on the US no-fly list, according to a US official.

Hollande urged his nation to remain united and vigilant, and the city shut down a central Jewish neighbourhood following fears of more violence.

“The threats facing France are not finished,” Hollande said. “We are a free people who don’t cave to pressure.”

Associated Press, with additional reporting by Daragh Brophy and Michelle Hennessy.

As it happened: Charlie Hebdo suspects dead and four hostages killed in Jewish store

Read: Multiple people shot in suspected robbery at Kansas gun shop

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116 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dave Hogan
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    Aug 21st 2017, 8:47 PM

    If I ear anything I will let them know.

    105
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    Mute Brian O Reilly
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    Aug 21st 2017, 9:27 PM

    The victim’s new nickname is “18 Months cos he’s got an ear and a half”

    35
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    Mute Andy Dwyer
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    Aug 21st 2017, 8:48 PM

    Mike Tyson filming the new Hangover movie.

    23
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    Mute winston smith
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    Aug 21st 2017, 9:17 PM

    The suspect was a well-built, white man in his 30s, who is around 5ft 8in tall with short dark has, has a tattoo on his neck, and was wearing a tight t-shirt and was chewing on an ear lobe…can’t be too difficult to find.

    22
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    Mute Ted Murray
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    Aug 21st 2017, 9:08 PM

    At least he’s still got an ear for music.

    14
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    Mute Tweety McTweeter
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    Aug 21st 2017, 8:47 PM
    16
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    Mute SteveW
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    Aug 21st 2017, 8:56 PM

    “The dance floor scuffle” sounds dangerous.

    14
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    Mute filthypete
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    Aug 21st 2017, 9:48 PM

    @SteveW: “strictly” after dark

    4
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    Mute Minom Pnom
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    Aug 21st 2017, 9:12 PM

    Bud, belfastian nordie, lend me your ear

    11
    Lily
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    Mute Lily
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    Aug 21st 2017, 8:56 PM

    Dolph Lundgren in Universal Soldier had a fondness for ears. Often seen wearing a necklace made from them.

    10
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    Mute Brendan McLaughlin
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    Aug 21st 2017, 10:25 PM

    Club is well known in Belfast as, “Sophie Ellis Baxter’s place”.
    Theres Murder on the Dance Floor.
    True!

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    Mute billy Dorney
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    Aug 21st 2017, 11:42 PM

    @Brendan McLaughlin: v good

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    Mute Denis McCarthy
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    Aug 21st 2017, 10:49 PM

    If found and convicted, will he ordered to keep the peace?

    9
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    Mute billy Dorney
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    Aug 21st 2017, 11:42 PM

    @Denis McCarthy: the piece(of ear)

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    Mute john culhane
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    Aug 21st 2017, 9:13 PM

    Tastes like chicken

    8
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    Mute Dave Murray
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    Aug 21st 2017, 9:00 PM

    A dance floor scuffle? Usually a cringe worthy, mortifying dance off solves that issue, but no, someone needs to take a chunk of ear off instead of just getting a kebab like they rest of us.

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    Mute DubKid
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    Aug 21st 2017, 11:46 PM

    Must have been doing the haka

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    Mute billy Dorney
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    Aug 21st 2017, 11:40 PM

    Hungry devil

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