Paris attack was to create sentiment of terror: French envoy

Terming the attack on Paris-based satire magazine Charlie Hebdo as a 'barbarian act', Ambassador of France to India Francois Richier on Wednesday said that the strike was an attempt to create a sentiment of terror in the city.

"Today, the media and its freedom were under attack. This was a barbarian act. It was indeed a terrorist attack, aiming to create a sentiment of terror and to destroy social fabric," Richier told ANI. "We are still tracking the culprits but have been unable to identify anyone at present. Our President [Francois Hollande] has called a meeting to review all elements of the attack," he added.

Richier also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Pranab Mukherjee for their condemnation of the attack. "I want to thank the Indian Prime Minister, President and the other authorities for their messages of solidarity," he said.

Earlier in the day, gunmen entered the offices of Charlie Hebdo and opened fire. According to reports, 12 people, including two police officers were killed in the attack, with five others seriously wounded. Charlie Hebdo has reportedly been facing threats after it published a series of cartoon depicting Prophet Muhammad in 2011 and more recently, ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.