India to work with France to counter terrorism

GANDHINAGAR: Condemning the "dastardly" attack on satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo which left 12 dead, India today said it will continue to work with France to check the menace of terrorism, both bilaterally and at multilateral forums.

"We intend to continue to work with France both bilaterally and in multilateral forums to tackle issues of terrorism. The people and government of India are committed in their fight against terrorism...we are there on the side of France and its people against this," Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said.

Expressing "shock" at the brazen attack, he said," Our leadership has condemned this incident in no uncertain terms. The PM immediately condemned this as a dastardly incident, the External Affairs Minister wrote a letter to her counterpart Laurent Fabius in which she expressed her shock."

In one of the worst terror attacks in France, Islamist gunmen stormed the office of Charlie Hebdo in central Paris yesterday, leaving 12 people dead, including eight journalists and two policemen.

Reports from Paris said the gunmen are still thought to be on the run, and there has so far been no claim of responsibility for the attack.

As France struggled to come to terms with yesterday's terror onslaught, a policewoman was killed after being shot at by a gunman wearing bulletproof vest outside Paris today, while a second victim is in serious condition.