Suspect in French magazine attack surrenders

One of the three suspects in the attack on the headquarters of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo on Wednesday has surrendered, according to various French media reports on Thursday.

The attack in Paris killed 12 people and French police had earlier identified the three gunmen as Said Kouachi, 34, Cherif Kouachi, 32, and Hamyd Mourad, 18, according to French media reports citing police sources.

The youngest suspect surrounded early Thursday morning. Police published a national warrant with the photos of the two other suspects, who are brothers, in an appeal for eyewitnesses to provide them with information.

One of the gunmen reportedly dropped one of his identification documents at the scene of the attack.

Police forces are carrying out several anti-terrorist raids in Reims, east-northeast of Paris, where the suspects are believed to be hiding.

- 'Sickening murders'

Paris prosecutor Francois Mollins told a press conference on Wednesday that a group of at least two masked men armed with Kalashnikov automatic rifles arrived in a black Citroën car and stopped in front of the headquarters of Charlie Hebdo magazine, which sparked controversy in 2006 and 2012 for publishing comic cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.

They arrived at the reception and shot one person, before going to the rest of offices, where the entire newspaper staff was located, and started firing.

Mollins said the assailants found themselves facing police as they left the building and there was a shootout which resulted in no injuries.

They then faced a second group of police officers and engaged in another shootout, also without any injuries. A third shootout resulted in the death of a policeman.

As they left the building, they shouted "God is great" and claimed to have avenged the Prophet Mohammed, Mollins claimed.

They killed 12 people, including eight journalists, a policeman and a guest. Eight people were injured, four of who are currently fighting for their lives.

According to eyewitnesses, the attackers arrived in the nineteenth district, where they crashed their car on Meaux Street before hijacking a Clio car and fleeing.