Roundup: Paris bloody attacks unites France in face of "act of war"

Government officials, opposition parties, religious groups have all pleaded for "solidarity" and "national unity" after coordinated attacks and suicide bombings had shaken the security of the French capital on Friday night.

"We must show compassion and unity in these difficult times. We also need to show solidarity in face of this terror," French President Francois Hollande said at a short televised address shortly after last night's assaults.

To Elisabeth Guigou, President of Foreign Affairs committee at the National Assembly, "France will not yield to violence and terrorist savagery. It remains united, calm and determined".

"Terrorists who want to bring us into a long night of fear, we will respond with our unity and brotherhood," she said.

At least 128 people were killed, 250 others were injured with 99 of them were in critical conditions after a group of suicide bombers stormed simultaneously restaurants, coffees shops, a theater hall and a stadium in central Paris, forcing France to declare state of emergency across the country, the first such decision since 1945.

The heaviest casualties was reported at Bataclan concert hall where hundreds of people were attending a concert of a rock group. About 82 people lost their lives.

Few weeks before regional elections the ruling Socialist Party and the far-right National Front suspended their election campaigns until further notice.

In the opposition camp, ex-head of state Nicolas Sarkozy, boss of the conservatives wrote on his facebook account "terrorists have declared war on France. Our response must show firmness and determination".

The centre-right former Prime minister Francois Fillon asked for "resistance against fanaticism".

"The president made the decisions necessary for the security of the French. The state of emergency is declared and national unity is now our duty," he said in a statement.

Earlier on Saturday, Hollande revealed that "the act of absolute barbarism" was "an act of war" organized from abroad by Islamic State with internal complicities.

In an online statement, Islamic State (IS) claims responsibility and called for attacks on France as response to its offensive against the Islamist fighters in Iraq and Syria.

"Eight brothers carrying explosive belts and assault rifles targeted the places previously carefully selected," it said.

A Syrian passport has been found near the body of one of the suicide bombers who blew himself up on Friday near national stadium Stade de France, local medias reported citing sources close the investigation.

In the far-left wing, Jean-Luc Melenchon pointed to the need "to defeat the murderous objectives by refusing the division, refusing to point the finger at a religion".

The CFCM, the representative body of Muslims in France condemned "with the utmost vigour" the "heinous and despicable attacks."

"Given the severity of the situation, the CFCM calls the entire nation to be united," it wrote in a statement, urging "Muslims in France to pray so that France can face this terrible ordeal in peace and in dignity". Endit