Police in Paris say a man has been killed after an exchange of gunfire outside a police station in the 18th arrondissement in Paris. He was reportedly wearing a suicide vest.
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Main events:
- Police shoot dead a man as he tried to enter police station in Paris
- Unconfirmed reports say he was wearing a suicide bomb vest
- Incident occurred on anniversary of Charlie Hebdo attacks
Numerous unconfirmed reports in the French media say the attacker's suicide vest was actually a fake.
13:14 - Here's the last round up from AFP
A man shot dead by police as he tried to attack a police station Thursday on the first anniversary of the jihadist assault on
Charlie Hebdo had a knife and what appeared to be an explosives vest, the government said.
The man was also heard to shout "Allahu Akbar" as he approached the police station in the multi-ethnic neighbourhood in the north of the capital, the interior ministry said.
"On Thursday morning, a man attempted to attack a policeman at the reception of the police station before being hit by shots from the police," said interior ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet.
"Bomb disposal experts are at the scene working to secure the site," he said, adding that Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve had left for the scene.
News of the attempted attack came after President Francois Hollande addressed New Year's greetings to France's police and gendarmes, and called for greater cooperation between the security services.
The population of the Goutte d'Or district where the incident occurred is predominantly of north African and sub-Saharan African origin.
13:12 - Reports of second man on the run
BFM TV are reporting that a second suspect may be on the run. The Ministry of Interior has neither confirmed nor denied these reports.
13:09 - A photo of the knife
This is an image of the knife believed to have been pulled by the suspect as he tried to enter the police station.
#Paris #Barbes Le couteau de l'auteur est visible sur la photo de@akilincs (NYTimes) pic.twitter.com/TkANjz2Hic
— Actu17 (@Actu17) January 7, 2016
13:04 - Tensions high in Goutte d'Or
The area around the police station in the Goutte d'Or area of Paris, just north of the Gare du Nord, has been sealed off and armed police are on the streets.
The area has a high immigrant population and was famously described by Fox News as one of many "no go zones" in France.
12:57 - 'Armed with a knife and explosives'
France's interior ministry now say the man who tried to attack the police station was armed with a knife and "an apparent explosive vest".
12:55 - Suspect shouted "Allahu Akbar"
The man who attempted to get into a police station in Paris cried "Allahu Akbar", which means "God is great" in Arabic, the government say. This is often the cry used by jihadists and Islamist terrorists before committing an attack.
12:49 - Residents advised to stay off their balconies
While police try to confirm whether or not the suspect was wearing a bomb vest, residents living near the station in the Goute d'Or area of Paris have been advised to close their windows and stay off their balconies.
#Barbes Police tell neighbors to close their windows & balconies. "It's dangerous" pic.twitter.com/sZ6jw9UOS5
— Anna Polonyi (@akilincs) January 7, 2016
12:45 - Bomb team inspects suspect
A New York Times journalist has posted images on Twitter that appear to show a robot inspecting the body of the man shot dead by police.
#Barbes #Gouttedor A robot appears to be inspecting the body.pic.twitter.com/scUv9Vil8E
— Anna Polonyi (@akilincs) January 7, 2016
#Barbes My sister saw this man running towards the station before being shot down. Bomb team has been called in.pic.twitter.com/A8yHgWu8yW
— Anna Polonyi (@akilincs) January 7, 2016
12:40 - Latest on incident from AFP
