The Latest: Residents Cleared From Site of Paris Standoff

Authorities in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis have evacuated about 20 residents from a building.
The illuminated Eiffel Tower in the French national colors red, white and blue in honor of the victims of the terrorist attacks last Friday, and Seine river are seen in Paris | AP
The illuminated Eiffel Tower in the French national colors red, white and blue in honor of the victims of the terrorist attacks last Friday, and Seine river are seen in Paris | AP

PARIS: The latest on the deadly attacks in Paris. (All times local):

7:45 a.m.

Authorities in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis have evacuated about 20 residents from a building where suspects linked to the Paris attacks are holed up in a standoff with police.

A city official not authorized to be publicly named told The Associated Press the residents were brought to city hall for protection. City hall is about 200 meters (yards) from the apartment building where the standoff is taking place on rue du Cornillon, in the heart of the historic, multicultural town just north of Paris.

The site is less than 2 kilometers (about a mile) from the Stade de France national stadium. Three suicide bombers blew themselves up Friday near the stadium during an international soccer match with French President Francois Hollande in attendance.

Saint-Denis is one of France's most historic places. French kings were crowned and buried through the centuries in its famed basilica. Today it is home to a vibrant and very ethnically diverse population and sees sporadic tension between police and violent youths.

7:35 a.m.

At least seven explosions have been heard at the scene of a police standoff with suspects in last week's deadly Paris attacks.

Associated Press reporters at the scene could hear what sounded like grenade blasts from the direction of the standoff in the heart of the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis.

The source of the blasts is unclear. Police say several people are holed up in an apartment and several police have been injured in an operation that has lasted at least three hours on Wednesday morning.

7:20 a.m.

A resident of the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis describes intense gunfire and explosions during a police operation near the site of one of last week's deadly attacks.

Baptiste Marie, a 26-year-old independent journalist who lives near the scene of the standoff, tells The Associated Press: "It started with an explosion. Then there was second big explosion. Then two more explosions. There was an hour of gunfire."

Resident Amin Guizani, 21, says: "There were grenades. It was going, stopping. Kalashnikovs. Starting again."

Riot police were clearing the streets early Wednesday, pointing guns at curious residents to move them off the roads.

Marie said the officers seemed nervous.

"You could see it in their eyes, " Marie said.

6:55 a.m.

Police say anti-terrorist officers are raiding an apartment in a north Paris suburb where several men are holed up.

The Paris police department says officers have exchanged gunfire with the suspects and several police have been injured. The extent of their injuries is unknown.

It's unclear whether there are injuries among the suspects.

Police reinforcements are arriving at the scene in Saint-Denis.

6:27 a.m.

Police vans and fire trucks are rushing to the scene of a SWAT team operation in the Paris suburb of Saint Denis that is linked to the deadly Paris attacks.

A helicopter is flying overhead at dawn Wednesday.

French television BFM and i-Tele say that the suspects are inside an apartment building.

Police have cordoned off the area nearby, including a pedestrian zone lined with shops and 19th-century apartment buildings.

Neighborhood resident Fabien Crombe said on BFM television that gunshots have repeatedly broken out since the police operation began, punctuated by silence and the sound of sirens.

Saint-Denis Mayor Didier Paillard said transport has been stopped and schools in the center of town will not open Wednesday.

6:15 a.m.

Authorities in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis are telling residents to stay inside during a large police operation near France's national stadium that two officials say is linked to last week's deadly attacks.

Deputy Mayor Stephane Peu told i-Tele television that there have been many gun shots and detonations in the operation that began at 4:25 a.m. (0325 GMT) Wednesday on rue de la Republique in the center of Saint-Denis.

The site is less than two kilometers (1.2 miles) from the Stade de France, targeted by three suicide bombers during Friday's attacks.

He urged residents to stay home, saying "it is not a new attack but a police intervention."

Two officials say police operation now under way is connected to the investigation into Friday's attacks that killed 129 people.

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