French police have broadened their manhunt for perpetrators of the November 13th attacks to include a ninth suspect.
Authorities were still searching on Tuesday night for Salah Abdeslam, the Islamic State extremist who rented cars and a hideout for himself and seven other jihadists. He is known to have crossed the border into Belgium on Saturday morning.
Six assailants, including Abdeslam’s brother Brahim, killed themselves during the Paris attacks by detonating explosives vests. Another suspect was shot by police. Now authorities say they are seeking another man seen in the black Seat car used by the Abdeslams to attack bars and restaurants in the 10th and 11th districts.
The identity of the ninth suspect, and his role in the attacks, is unknown. "We still don't know the number of persons implicated in the attacks," prime minister Manuel Valls said.
The investigation made progress during the day when police found a two-bedroom “aparthotel” flat rented by Salah Abdeslam in Alfortville, east of Paris. He and his now dead brother slept there before the rampage. The fact that Abdeslam booked the flat in his own name seems to indicate he expected to die.
Third car found
Detectives discovered a third car used by the jihadists, abandoned in the 18th district. Islamic State’s claim of responsibility for the attacks alluded to a target in the 18th, but nothing happened there.
Investigators have established that Salah Abdeslam left Syria in September, and Samy Amimour and Omar Ismail Mostefai, French citizens who died in the Bataclan concert hall, arrived in Syria on the same day as each other in 2013.
French police carried out 128 searches and detained 10 people for questioning overnight from Monday to Tuesday.
A friendly match between the German and Dutch football teams in Hanover on Tuesday night was called off less than two hours before kick-off after police received a warning of an attack.