Who were the attackers involved in the Paris attack

PARIS: Here's what we know about the attackers who died in Friday´s attacks on Paris and Wednesday´s police assault in Saint Denis, north of the capital, as well as others key to investigations.

Seven dead assailants, not all named, played direct roles in the November 13th attacks: 3 at the Bataclan hall, 3 outside the Stade de France stadium, 1 in the cafe killings.

On November 18th at least two people died and 8 were arrested in a police assault on a building in Saint Denis.

Also read: Paris attack mastermind killed

On November 19th a statement from the office of French public prosecutor Francois Molins on said that a body from the Saint Denis assault was identified as that of prime suspect Abaaoud.

Who was Abdelhamid Abaaoud?

Abdelhamid Abaaoud, Belgian, 28, grew up in the Molenbeek district of Brussels, but vanished in 2013 and later showed up in Syria.

Abdlehamid Abaaoud’s father Omar had accused him of kidnapping his younger brother Younes who at the age of 13 was vaunted as becoming the youngest foreign fighter in Syria.

In 2010 he was jailed for robbery and spent time alongside Salah Abdeslam.
His possible presence in the Saint Denis flat was part of the reason for the November 18th police operation.

Also read: Abaaoud linked to four French attack plots this year: Minister

Up until Wednesday, Abaaoud was believed to be in Syria.

Still on the run: Salah Abdeslam

Salah Abdeslam, 26, French, born in Brussels, Sept. 15, 1989 is suspected to have rented a black VW Polo car used in the attacks in Paris according to French police sources.

Lawyer Xavier Carette told Belgian broadcaster RTBF that Abdeslam returned from Paris to Brussels on Saturday morning after being stopped by French police three times along the way.

His brother, Brahim, was killed in the attack in Paris. Both Salah and Brahim were known to Belgian authorities for having radicalized and were questioned earlier this year, Belgian prosecutors said.

It was not clear whether Salah had travelled to Syria.

The dead terrorists

Ismail Omar Mostefai, 29, born November 21, 1985, Frenchman of Algerian descent was involved in the November 13th Bataclan attack. He is said to have lived for sometime in the Chartres area, southwest of Paris. His name was put on the French Intelligence’s “S-Notice” in 2010 for reported radicalization.

An unnamed senior Turkish government official says Turkey contacted France about Mostefai in December 2014 and June 2015 but only got a return request for information on him after the Paris attacks.

Members of his family were released from custody after questioning.

Also read: Europol chief says further attacks likely after Paris carnage

Samy Amimour, 28, born October 15, 1987, was involved in November 13th Bataclan attack. French, from Drancy near Saint Denis, north of Paris.

He had an international arrest warrant against him since late 2013 and had been under official investigation since October 2012 on suspicision of terrorism-related activity over a plan to go to Yemen, according to a statement from the Paris prosecutor’s office.

Brahim Abdeslam, 31, born July 30, 1984, French, resident of Belgium. He is said to have blown himself up at Comptoir Voltaire cafe in Paris in the November 13th attack, according to the French judiciary sources.

He was the brother of Salah and Mohamad Abdeslam (who is said to be on the run). It is said Brahim tried to go to Syria earlier this year but was sent back by Turkish officials. Upon his return to Belgium, he was questioned by authorities but released.

Brahim owned a bar in the Brussels neighbourhood of Molenbeek which was closed by officials after a police raid found evidence of drug use. According to reports Brahim sold the bar in late September.

Bilal Hadfi, 20, born Jan 22, 1995. Was involved in the November 13th attack at the Stade de France, according to French judiciary sources.
Belgian prosecutors say they were aware he had gone to fight in Syria were not aware of his return.

Ahmad Al Mohammad, 25, born Sept. 10 1990, from Idlib, northwest Syria. However his identity is not confirmed as the information available is according to a passport found beside his dead body. While the passport is being checked, his fingerprints match up with the prints of a person registered under the same name when he arrived in Greece in October 2015, according to the French prosecutor’s office.

Also read: French PM warns of chemical attacks

Possible third, unnamed, suicide bomber who died in the November 13th Stade de France attacks.

Hasna Ait Boulahcenis, is the woman who allegedly blew herself up during the November 18th police raid on the flat in Saint Denis.Woman´s first name may be Hasna Ait Boulahcenis and she may be a cousin of Abdelhamid Abaaoud, according to a source close to the case.