Abdelhamid Abaaoud: ISIS Paris Attack Mastermind Confirmed Killed In Police Raid — What This Means
Abdelhamid Abaaoud was identified by French authorities as the mastermind behind the horrific Paris attacks that left more than 100 innocent civilians dead at the hands of the ISIS terrorist group, according to a previous report by the Inquisitr. As of Wednesday morning, Abdelhamid Abaaoud has been confirmed dead from a police raid.
According to the Guardian, the body of Abdelhamid Abaaoud had to be identified by his fingerprints, having been badly mutilated in the raid that took place in Saint-Denis, where the ISIS leader had been hiding out. Though those affected by the Paris attacks were relieved that the mastermind behind the shootings was killed, many are frustrated that it took officials this long to locate him.
Authorities are using the aftermath of the death of Abdelhamid Abaaoud as an opportunity to examine how he was able to bring ISIS soldiers into France. According to Euronews, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve spoke to reporters about the Paris attacks, saying that no other European countries notified France of Abdelhamid Abaaoud coming through.
“No information coming from a European country, where he could have transited before arriving in France was given to us, suggesting that he must have got into Europe and then continued to France. It was only on November 16, after the Paris attacks, that an intelligence service from a non-European country signaled that it had been aware of his presence in Greece.”
Abdelhamid Abaaoud successfully traveled through Germany and into Syria, having raised suspicions among federal police for a list of petty crimes, but nothing on the ISIS leader’s record was enough for him to be detained.
Belgian officials had also placed Abdelhamid Abaaoud on a watch list for suspicion of his radical Islamic beliefs; however, a police spokesperson said, “There were no indications that would have led us to stop him traveling or arrest him.”
But this does not answer the question of how Abdelhamid Abaaoud returned to Europe. Police believe the terrorist leader could have forged a fake passport to make it into France, or used an existing passport from a European citizen who volunteered their documentation to help ISIS.
In addition to the Paris attacks, it is believed that Abdelhamid Abaaoud orchestrated several other terrorist attacks, including a failed assault on a French train several months ago.
According to AFP, the ISIS leader had already earned a reputation as a terrorist in 2014, enough to be disowned by his own family.
“Abdelhamid has brought shame on our family,” his father said. “Our lives have been destroyed… I never want to see him again.”
And after a previous report mistakenly announced that Abdelhamid Abaaoud was killed in Syria, his family said “we can only pray that he is really dead.” This time he truly is.
But the death of the ISIS ringleader raises questions about what move the terrorist group will make next. According to New York Magazine, Salah Abdeslam, a close friend and comrade of Abdelhamid Abaaoud, is still on the loose. He escaped after the Paris attacks with two getaway drivers. He was stopped at the Belgian border, but was allowed to cross. His drivers would later be arrested, but Abdeslam is still at large.
Now authorities are concerned about the gap left by the death of Abdelhamid Abaaoud. Abdeslam seems like a reasonable replacement to the ISIS leader. A close friend of the Molenbeek terrorist spoke to Ouest-France about Abdeslam’s popularity among his comrades.
“Salah is crazy. He doesn’t walk, he runs. He is energetic perhaps too much so. But that’s why people like him. He is loyal, devoted to his brothers… He was a bit of a hell-raiser.”
What do you think about the death of Abdelhamid Abaaoud? Is it good news?
[Photo by Jerome Groisard/Ministere de l’Interieur – Dicom via AP]
