PARIS, France, — A new, massive manhunt was launched Friday for the only surviving suspect from the two hostage situations in France, who may have escaped, police union spokesman Pascal Disant said.
That suspect is Hayat Boumeddiene, a 26-year-old woman who allegedly was the accomplice of Amedy Coulibaly, 32, in the standoff at a kosher grocery store in eastern Paris.
Four people were killed in the standoff, which ended Friday afternoon when police stormed the market, French President François Hollande said Friday. Coulibaly was killed in the operation. It was not clear from Hollande’s remarks whether Coulibaly was included in that number.
Boumeddiene may have eluded capture during the confusion as the freed hostages were running away, Disant said.
At almost the same time, Cherif Kouachi, 32, and Said Kouachi, 34, were killed in a police operation in Dammartin-en-Goele, near the Charles de Gaulle Airport northeast of Paris.
The Kouachis, brothers and the suspects in the massacre at the Charlie Hebdo magazine office Wednesday in Paris, had been cornered at a printing business in the town and had taken a hostage, who survived, according to the mayor of a nearby town.
During the hostage-taking scenario allegedly involving Boumeddiene and Coulibaly, they had demanded the freedom of the Kouachi brothers, Disand said.
Some police were injured in the operation at the grocery, and at least 10 hostages escaped, according to Disand.
The hostages being held at the market near Porte de Vincennes are alive, and “the terrorist is dead,” tweeted Gerard Araud, the French ambassador to the United States.
During the police operation, officers shouted “get down!” and “we’ve got him,” video from CNN affiliate BFMTV shows.