Official: Cornered French terror suspects want to be martyrs
By ANGELA CHARLTON and RAPHAEL SATTER, Associated Press
Jan 9, 2015 5:45 AM CST
Official: Cornered French terror suspects want to be martyrs
This photo provided by The Paris Police Prefecture Thursday, Jan.8, 2015 shows the suspects Cherif, left, and Said Kouachi in the newspaper attack along with a plea for witnesses. Police hunted Thursday for two heavily armed men, one with possible links to al-Qaida, in the methodical killing of 12...   (Associated Press)

DAMMARTIN-EN-GOELE, France (AP) —

An official in the French town where two terror suspects are holed up with a hostage near a school tells The Associated Press that phone contact has been established with the men. A lawmaker inside the command post tells French television the men "want to die as martyrs."

Audrey Taupenas, spokeswoman for Dammartin-en-Goele, says officials established phone contact with the suspects in order to negotiate the safe evacuation of a school near the printing plant where the men are cornered. She says the suspects agreed.

Yves Albarello, a lawmaker who said he was inside the command post, said the two brothers told i-Tele on Friday they "want to die as martyrs."

The men are suspected in the attack against the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo that left 12 people dead.

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