Witnesses Inside Bataclan Concert Hall Recount Paris Friday The 13th Night Of Terror

The French capital of Paris has come under attack by terrorists this evening, as reported by the Inquisitr. CNN is reporting that up to 118 people have been killed and that a hostage situation is now over at the Bataclan concert hall, with two of the attackers being shot dead by police. The Stade de France and a popular downtown cafe were rocked by explosions and militants firing AK-47 rifles. The Russian-made rifles are said to be uncommon in France.

https://twitter.com/HarisAlisic/status/665317590303006720

Reports from inside the Bataclan describe a a horrific scene, with French police officers exchanging gunfire with terrorists reportedly situated on a rooftop location.

Europe 1 is reporting that one of its journalists was inside the Bataclan when the attack was carried out.

“I was inside the concert hall when several gunmen returned in full concert,” Julian Pearce, a reporter with Europe 1, was quoted. “Two or three individuals unmasked returned with automatic weapons Kalashnikov type and started shooting blindly into the crowd. It lasted about ten, fifteen minutes. It was extremely violent and there has been a wave of panic, everyone ran to the scene, there was trampling scenes. I myself am trampled.”

Mon collègue d' @Europe1 @JulienPearce était au #Bataclan, témoignage glaçant et courageux : https://t.co/nXTKDKpopY #Paris

— Xavier Yvon (@xavieryvon) November 13, 2015

Pearce described the attackers as being “very young,” and that they stopped to reload their rifles at least three times. He stated that the assailants were not masked and that they were “masters of themselves.”

The Bataclan was said to be littered with at least “a dozen” corpses lying in pools of blood. One body reportedly belonged to a little girl.

Liberation is reporting that the Bataclan shooting started in a bar located close to the concert hall known as “La Carillon” at about 9:20 p.m. local time.

“It lasted terribly long,” a witness was quoted. “He lifted his Kalashnikov, he pulled into the Carillon. We could hear people screaming, you could not hear the shooter, there are ten body to earth.”

Police were reported to respond to the scene quickly, armed with shotguns. One witness counted hearing more than 100 gunshots and “two or three” explosions.

The Eagles of Death Metal was the name of the band that was playing in the Bataclan concert hall this evening. Some have speculated that the band may have been targeted because they are American and were playing in Paris.

“There is war here,” a witness inside the Batalcan who was in the “pit” when the shooting started said. The witness said he saw a “silhouette” of a man enter the concert hall and begin firing, as people around him began diving for cover, and appearing to fall to the ground dead. The man described himself as being a “refugee” barricaded in the cafe on the first floor of the concert hall. The concert hall has reportedly now been secured by French police.

Another witness described the scene at the Bataclan as a “nightmare.” At least 112 deaths have been reported at the concert hall alone.

A woman who was present when the first shots were fired described people thinking they were hearing firecrackers. About ten minutes later, the woman described hearing another volley of gunfire from another part of the city, which led her to realize that something more serious was underway.

Journalist was inside #Bataclan "2-3 unmasked ppl entered & randomly shot on crowd w Kalachnikovs for 10-15 mns" 1/2 pic.twitter.com/iWtWOAPWPp

— Taniel (@Taniel) November 13, 2015

The terrorists were reported to have randomly shot members of the audience at the Bataclan for 10 to 15 minutes.

All residents of Paris have been advised to stay indoors. President Obama has condemned the Paris attacks and pledged U.S. solidarity with France. Though no credible threats of terrorist operations being conducted in the United States have been reported, the nation is said to be on high alert this Friday the 13th, with security being increased in urban centers like New York City.

[Feature Screenshot via Rami/Twitter]