(CN) - President Barack Obama called it "heartbreaking" as news broke Friday evening that a series of fatal terrorist attacks had beseiged Paris, France.
At least 128 people were killed and hundreds more wounded in multiple shootings and explosions in Paris, international news sources reported. France declared a national state of emergency and has closed its borders.
There may have been up to seven separate terrorist attacks throughout Paris, although the exact number, among other details, remains unclear. Also unclear as the dust settles is who is responsible for the carnage.
The bulk of the slaughter is said to have occurred at a concert venue called the Bataclan, where the U.S. metal band Eagles of Death Metal had been playing. French police reportedly freed dozens of hostages from the venue, but at least 100 people were killed there. Four police officers attempting to end the hours-long siege were among those killed, as were at least two of the attackers, Paris police said.
Another three people were killed in what has been described as a suicide blast at the Stade de France, in the region St. Denis, where a match between France and Germany reportedly continued to the finish. Fans reported confusion about the source of the three explosions they heard during the second half of the game.
In the 11th arrondissement, near the Bataclan concert hall, a BBC journalist reported seeing 10 people lying on the road, either dead or seriously injured, after attacks at the restaurant Le Petit Cambodge and the nearby bar Le Carillon.
An eyewitness told Liberation he had heard more than 100 rounds being fired at a cafe in rue de Charonne, the BBC says.
There are reports of up to six gunmen involved, although the true number is still unknown. French authorities said accomplices "may be on the loose."
The Paris prosecutor said five gunmen "have been neutralized."
Statements follow from U.S. President Obama, France President Francois Hollande and Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council.
"Good evening, everybody," Obama said at 5:45 EST. "I just want to make a few brief comments about the attacks across Paris tonight. Once again, we've seen an outrageous attempt to terrorize innocent civilians. This is an attack not just on Paris, it's an attack not just on the people of France, but this is an attack on all of humanity and the universal values that we share.
"We stand prepared and ready to provide whatever assistance that the government and the people of France need to respond. France is our oldest ally. The French people have stood shoulder to shoulder with the United States time and again. And we want to be very clear that we stand together with them in the fight against terrorism and extremism.
"Paris itself represents the timeless values of human progress. Those who think that they can terrorize the people of France or the values that they stand for are wrong. The American people draw strength from the French people's commitment to life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. We are reminded in this time of tragedy that the bonds of liberté and égalité and fraternité are not only values that the French people care so deeply about, but they are values that we share. And those values are going to endure far beyond any act of terrorism or the hateful vision of those who perpetrated the crimes this evening.
