Paris Terror Suspects 'Ready To Die'

The Charlie Hebdo terror suspects are holed up at an industrial building near Charles de Gaulle airport with a hostage, and have told police they are ready to "die as martyrs".

One of the "heavily armed" Kouachi brothers turned up at the printing factory wearing black combat gear and a bulletproof vest and claimed to be a police officer. He then told a worker: "Get out of here, we don't kill civilians."

Helicopters are hovering nearby and armed police officers have flooded the area, surrounding Said and Cherif Kouachi. An army tank has also been spotted.

Residents of Dammartin-en-Goele are being told to stay at home, switch off the lights, and stay away from their windows.

Hundreds of people are sealed inside some local office buildings, while several schools have been evacuated.

There have been reports that two people have been killed, but Paris prosecutors insist there have been no deaths.

Police are now negotiating by phone with the two suspects, whose hostage is reported to be a 26-year-old man.

At least two planes have aborted landing attempts at the airport as the situation unfolds.

Meanwhile an armed man has taken hostages at a grocery store in eastern Paris , with some reports claiming it is the same person responsible for yesterday's policewoman shooting.

Police sources say the hostage taker is demanding freedom for the Kouachi brothers, and says he will kill the hostages if police storm their building. Part of the ring road around Paris has now been closed.

Sky's Robert Nisbet said the Dammartin-en-Goele operation is complex and the police are moving at a deliberately slow pace.

"What we are sensing here is no panic, they are taking this very slowly indeed. This operation is complex, this is not something they want to rush."

The stand-off follows a car chase on the N2 motorway earlier in which gunshots were fired between the men and police as their stolen car headed towards Paris.

Three helicopters have been hovering near the factory, close to the country's busiest airport.

A close-up image of one of the helicopters shows armed police sitting at the vehicle's open door with heavy weaponry ready.

In a televised statement interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve said: "An operation is under way which is set to neutralise the perpetrators of the cowardly attack carried out two days ago."

Armed police are ordering members of the media to leave the area, saying the situation is too dangerous.

The brothers' grey Peugot 206 was hijacked in the town of Montagny Sainte Felicite this morning between Crepy-en-Valois and Nanteuil-le-Haudoin.

The two men are believed to be behind Wednesday's terror attack on the headquarters of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in which 12 people died.

They then fled the city and are believed to have hid overnight in an area to the northeast of the capital.

Police say the attack is being linked to a second incident on Thursday in which a policewoman was shot dead and a council worker seriously injured.

The suspect in that case is a known associate of Cherif, French media claims.

More follows...

:: A special report on the Paris attack and the manhunt for the two gunmen will air on Sky News tonight at 8.30pm.