French still seeking female suspect in Paris attacks

PARIS, Jan. 10 (UPI) — French authorities are still seeking Hayat Boumeddiene, 26, believed to be involved in the attack on a Jewish market and the shooting of a policewoman, in relation to Wednesday’s attack on satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris.

Two hostage situations came to a deadly end around Paris on Friday, with two suspects in the Charlie Hebdo massacre killed in a standoff with police, as miles away four hostages were slain in a related attack on a market.

The hostage-taker at the market in Porte de Vincennes was Amedi Coulibaly, 32, the man suspected of killing a Paris policewoman Thursday morning, one day after the attacks on the Charlie Hebdo offices. Coulibaly was killed by police. Three hostages were also killed.

Shortly before the police raid, Coulibaly claimed to have coordinated his actions with the two brothers, Said and Cherif Kouachi, suspected of killing 12 in the attack on Charlie Hebdo, who were themselves holed up with a hostage in a printworks building in Dammartin-en-Goele, about 22 miles northeast of Paris.

Boumeddiene, still at large and considered armed and dangerous, was allegedly Coulibaly’s active accomplice in the market attack and is believed to have escaped along with hostages as police stormed the building. A manhunt is underway.

On Friday, al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula provided a statement to The Intercept claiming responsibility for the attack by the Kouachi brothers.

“The target was in France in particular because of its obvious role in the war on Islam and oppressed nations,” the statement read.

Investigators are still trying to confirm alleged ties between the perpetrators and AQAP, based in Yemen, and other terror networks including the Islamic State.

Hollande called the kosher market standoff an “appalling anti-Semitic act” and praised the efforts of law enforcement. Meanwhile, France prepares for a unity rally in Paris on Sunday. The march will be attended by some 30 world leaders including David Cameron and Anglea Merkel.

Additional reporting by JC Finley and Danielle Haynes.