Hayat Boumeddiene - French Police have launched a major manhunt for a suspect who escaped after a kosher supermarket was raided during a hostage situation in Vincennes on Friday.
The raid on the kosher supermarket in East Paris, occurred almost simultaneously as an attack on the Kouachi brothers about 25 miles away in Dammartin-en-Goele. Cherif and Said Kouachi, who attacked and killed several people in the offices of Charlie Hebdo newspaper on Wednesday, are reported to have stormed a print shop in an industrial area and took a man hostage.
According to the Guardian, Amedy Coulibaly and Hayat Boumeddiene raided the Vincennes supermarket soon after news of the Kouachi brother's attack broke. They reportedly took the people in the mall - who were at least more than 10 - hostages. The two, who are believed to be a couple, had earlier been wanted in connection with the murder of a police officer in the outskirts of Paris on Thursday.
Coulibaly, who has been linked with the Kouachi brothers, is said to have demanded their release for the hostages.
French President Francois Hollande said up to 16 people were held hostages in the kosher supermarket. Coulibaly reportedly killed 4 of them.
Police threw grenades and burst into the supermarket to release the hostages. Coulibaly was shot and killed during the raid, but Hayat Boumeddiene is believed to have escaped by joining the hostages, who reportedly ran out of the supermarket once the police came in shooting.
Meanwhile, in Dammartin, the Kouachi brothers were also killed after the police raided the print shop. The hostage they were holding is reported to have escaped unharmed.
It is unclear where Hayat Boumeddiene may be hiding at the moment. Reports indicate that she received terrorist training in the Middle East, along with Coulibly and Cherif Kouachi.
Since news of the murder of the Kouachi brothers and Coulibaly became public, world leaders have sent messages of solidarity to France.
US President Barack Obama, who revealed that US officials were cooperating with France to handle the situation, noted that the French government needs to keep vigilant as the "situation is fluid."
Meanwhile, President Hollande, who described Coulibaly and Hayat Boumeddiene's raid on the kosher mall as a "terrifying anti-semitic attack", also called on the country to stand against anything that causes public division. He thanked French law enforcement officials for their effort and revealed plans to reinforce security in public places.
