Terrifying footage of Paris attacks: Diners dive for cover as terrorists spray bullets

Terrifying video footage of a sustained attack on a restaurant during the Paris Massacre can be revealed by the Daily Mail today. The exclusive images show the merciless savagery of an Islamic State assassin and the extraordinary bravery and survival instincts of his intended victims. They also show the incredible luck of a young woman who would have died had the terrorist's assault rifle not misfired as he held the weapon over her head, giving her a chance to run away.

Police believe her to be the luckiest person to escape with their life during Friday's psychopathic rampage which left 129 people dead and 99 critically injured. There is also remarkable footage of a 20 year old waitress who ducked under the bar and wrapped her arms around an older, injured woman as the Islamic State gunman who sprayed the restaurant and its outdoor dining area with bullets.

It is the first time any film has been seen of the mayhem caused inside a property targeted by Islamic State six days ago. The footage emerged amid reports the mastermind behind the Paris terror plot had been killed in an hour-long firefight with commandos after a raid on a safehouse in the French capital. Abdelhamid Abaaoud, 27, and his 26-year-old French-born cousin Hasna Aitboulahcen are believed to be the two terrorists who died in a gun and grenade battle which saw 5,000 rounds of ammunition fired by police.

The blonde-haired woman, said to be Aitboulahcen, became Europe's first female suicide bomber when she detonated her explosive vest moments after telling police 'Help me, help me'. Another jihadi's body was found riddled with bullets when more than 100 armed officers stormed the flat in Saint-Denis believing Abaaoud was inside with six other terrorists, including Salah Abdeslam. The French authorities have still not confirmed if Abaaoud was there or if he is dead or alive but two European intelligence officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Washington Post that he had been killed inside the building and identified by forensic experts.

Read more here.

Also read: Are we going to see more Mumbai/Paris style of terror attacks?

The terrorist attack in Paris last week was a rude reminder of the Mumbai attacks in November 2008, where at least 164 people were killed over three days. This style of terrorist attack, wherein multiple gunmen enter a city, disperse to several different locations and indiscriminately shoot locals, will be seen far more often in the future. The viability of such an attack was first put to test in Mumbai, when ten armed men entered the city from the sea and targeted crowded spaces. It succeeded nightmarishly. Several terrorist organisations, including ISIS, have since hailed the 2008 Mumbai attacks and have warned of replicating it to target cities in the West. Is Paris the first of many such attacks?

Maximum damage

Over the years, national and international surveillance and intelligence agencies have become more sophisticated as sharing has increased. This has made it harder for terrorist organisations to procure materials and assemble high-intensity bombs. Therefore, more terrorist organisations are now considering fidayeen style attacks to cause maximum damage and increase panic across the city.

This technique has two key facets - multiple targets and hostage situations. Read more here.

Also read: Paris is not Beirut. Don't judge mourners

I have watched the non-stop coverage on the Paris attacks. I have read the articles on the tragic events on November 13. I even wrote articles on the terrorist’s attacks.

The outpouring of support and grief on the global stage was phenomenal, just like it was for the September 11 events in the United States.

For me personally, it was heartbreaking because I am one of those very lucky people who actually lived in Paris for a few months. I have walked the streets where all these horrific events occurred and when the images are splashed across the television screens, I am gripped with grief, sorrow, sadness and nostalgia.

But I am also a journalist who is pragmatic and realistic. Bad things happen. They happen everywhere and every day to people who do not deserve them. We live in violent, dangerous times. I am accustomed to tragedies.

That’s why I have never changed any social media page to reflect the current tragedy in any country ever. I know better than anyone else that life is a 24-hour news cycle. The next disaster is a few headlines away.

I don’t judge my friends on my Facebook page who upgraded their profile pictures with the French tricolor. I noticed the social[sc1] media had activated Safety Check, a feature that they usually reserved for natural disasters. It crossed my mind that it had not been done for Beirut the previous day.

In the beginning, the lavishly generously expressed emotional tributes on social media were as bright as the lights of the monuments that lit up around the world in the colors of the French flag.

But within a few hours, the unpleasant, cutting comments began to fly all over social media. The sadness and shock gave way to the ugly accusations of racism and the insinuations of indifference. Read more here.