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Abdelhamid Abaaoud, Moroccan-origin Belgian jihadist who was believed to be the mastermind behind Friday night's attacks, was not among the 8 people arrested Wednesday morning during a police raid in Saint-Denis, Paris Prosecutor Francois Molins confirmed to the press Wednesday evening during a press conference.
Molins also confirmed another important suspect, Salah Abdeslam, hunted since Nov. 15, was not among the 8 arrested either. The 8 arrested included 7 men and one woman.
Among the 7 arrested men, the Paris prosecutor said the identification of three are underway.
However, Washington Post announced, before the press conference of the prosecutor, that Abaaoud was killed by the police during the raid.
The raid on fugitive terrorists was launched at 0420 local time (0320 GMT) in city center of Saint-Denis in northern Paris, a few hundred meters away from Stade de France where three suicide bombing took place last Friday.
Witnesses told BFMTV they heard "explosions" and "gunshots" since 0430 local time (0330 GMT). Gunshots could also be clearly heard from the Xinhua office, about six kilometers away.
According to Molins, the raid was carried out following a tip-off the French police received on Monday indicating the presence of Abaaoud in France.
At least two suspects were killed by the police during the operation, including a woman, who blew herself up at the beginning of the raid, and a man whose identity has not been confirmed yet.
Molins also said that five police officers were injured during the raid.
