Hollande reiterates need to form 'vast coalition' against IS despite existing divergence

"A new group of terrorists" was neutralized during the police raid with at least 2 terror suspects being killed and 8 arrested, Paris Prosecutor Francois Molins confirmed to the press Wednesday evening during a press conference.

7 men and one woman were arrested during the raid. But, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, a Moroccan-origin Belgian jihadist who was believed to be the mastermind behind Friday night's attacks, and another important suspect, Salah Abdeslam, hunted since Nov. 15, were not among the 8 arrested, Molins confirmed.

Among the 7 arrested men, the Paris prosecutor said the identification of three men are underway.

However, Washington Post announced, before the press conference of the prosecutor, that Abaaoud was killed by the police during the raid.

At least two terror suspects were killed, including a woman who blew herself up, the first female suicide bombing reported in France, and a man whose identity has not been confirmed yet.

The woman suicide bomber, who had ties of kinship with Abaaoud, was monitored by the police since Tuesday for possible links with Abaaoud.

Molins also said that five police officers were injured during the raid.

The raid on fugitive terrorists was launched at 0420 local time (0320 GMT) in city center of Saint-Denis in northern Paris, a few hundred meters away from Stade de France where three suicide bombing took place last Friday.

Witnesses told BFMTV they heard "explosions" and "gunshots" since 0430 local time (0330 GMT). Gunshots could also be clearly heard from the Xinhua office, about six kilometers away.

In what is France's worst terror attack, at least 129 people were killed, including foreigners, and more than 300 others were wounded.

The deadly attacks that rocked France last Friday was "the act of absolute barbarism" and "an act of war" organized from abroad by Islamic State with internal complicities, French President Francois Hollande said.