French authorities traded gunfire with suspected terrorists Wednesday, leading to two deaths and the arrest of several others in France’s latest attempt to respond to Friday’s terror attacks.
“Two of those terrorists died during the assault, and there were a number of arrests made,” Hollande told French mayors Wednesday, through an interpreter.
According to overseas reports, a woman blew herself up and died during the raid, and at least five others were arrested. One report said authorities traded gunfire early in the morning, at around 4:30 a.m. local time.
The apartment raided was less than two miles from the soccer stadium where one of Friday’s attacks was carried out.
“These actions confirm to us once again that we are at war, a war against terrorism which itself has decided to bring war to us,” Hollande said.
Holland has proposed extending the state of emergency in France for three months, a move that would make it easier for French authorities to continue raids against suspected terrorist cells.
Hollande has pledged to wage a “pitiless” war against the Islamic State in retaliation for the attack. France says it has evidence that terrorist group orchestrated the Friday attacks, and the Obama administration has said it has no information to contradict that finding.
But the event has created tension over the Obama administration’s Islamic State policy in the United States. President Obama has ruled out sending U.S. ground troops back to the Middle East to take on the group more directly, and has said he would continue to take Syrian refugees despite protests from several states.
In Congress, Republicans are examining legislative proposals to force a tougher military response against the Islamic State, and to slow Obama’s plan to take in refugees.
