French anti-terrorism police converged on an area northeast of Paris on Thursday after two brothers suspected of being behind an attack on a satirical newspaper were spotted at a petrol station in the region.
France's prime minister said on Thursday he feared the Islamist militants who killed 12 people could strike again as a manhunt for two men widened across the country. He also raised the terror threat level in the northern Picardie region to its highest level.
Two police sources said that the men were seen armed and wearing cagoules in a Renault Clio car at a petrol station on a secondary road in Villers-Cotterets some 70 kilometers from the French capital.
Amid French media reports the men had abandoned their car, Bruno Fortier, the mayor of neighboring Crépy-en-Valois, said helicopters were circling his town and police and anti-terrorism forces were deploying en masse.
"It's an incessant waltz of police cars and trucks," he told Reuters, adding that he could not confirm reports the men were holed up in a house in the area. AFP tweeted that a source had said that Molotov cocktails and jihadist flags had been found in the abandoned vehicle.
A BBC reporter also tweeted a picture showing a police convoy in Crépy-en-Valois, a town northeast from the centre of Paris.
Huge convoy of police incl black armoured truck just flew through Crepy en Valois. pic.twitter.com/tE84tm2WHc
— Piers Scholfield (@inglesi) January 8, 2015
Earlier this morning, AFP reported that the men had been spotted by a manager of a petrol station in the northern Aisne region, who said he "recognised the two men suspected of having participated in the attack against Charlie Hebdo", although this has not been confirmed.
Police have told press that they have located the two men, who are heavily armed, with some reports saying that a rocket launcher was visible in the back of their car. A security cordon was formed at major roads leading into paris as it was feared they could be returning to the capital.
French media reporting owner of petrol station saw 2 men wearing masks in car with guns & rocket launcher #CharlieHebdo
— lyse doucet (@bbclysedoucet) January 8, 2015
French journalist, Emilie Baujard tweeted a picture of the closed off petrol station:
Station service braquée par les 2 terroristes présumés à Villers-Cotterêts fermée par les gendarmes. #CharlieHebdopic.twitter.com/3xKYuNP8fu
— emilie_baujard (@emilie_baujard) January 8, 2015
Police released photographs of the two French nationals still at large, calling them "armed and dangerous": brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi, aged 32 and 34, both of whom were already under watch by security services.
Late Wednesday, an 18-year-old man turned himself into police in Charleville-Mézières near the Belgian border as police carried out searches in Paris and the northeastern cities of Reims and Strasbourg. A legal source said he was the brother-in-law of one of the main suspects and French media quoted friends as saying he was in school at the moment of the attack.
French social media carried numerous reports of police helicopters across northern France. Police tightened security at transport hubs, religious sites, media offices and stores.
There were scattered, unconfirmed reports of sightings of the assailants and police increased their presence at entry points to Paris. One police source talked of a type of “psychosis” setting in with various reports and rumors, but police had to take each of them seriously.
The defense ministry said it had brought in an additional 200 soldiers from parachute regiments across the country to Paris to take the number of military patrolling the capital's streets to 850.
NoYesYesmanhunt, charlie, hebdo, attackers, continuesWebWhitelistEMEAUSEMEAHeadline Image Full Height