Tributes have flooded in following the death of a police dog during this morning’s Paris siege. Thousands of people have payed tribute to Diesel, the seven-year-old Belgian Malinois who was shot by an extremist as armed police raided a building in Saint-Denis this morning.
A female suicide bomber detonated a explosive device on herself and another extremist was killed during the siege which was targeting Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the man thought to be behind the Paris attacks. Seven people were arrested and taken into custody.
Diesel’s death has seen tributes being paid worldwide using the hashtag #JeSuisChien, meaning “I am dog”.
France remains in a national state of emergency following massacres across Paris on Friday that killed 129 people.
France’s National Police tweeted that Diesel “was killed by terrorists in the current operation in Saint-Denis”. A spokesperson said that attack and sniffer dogs were “indispensable” in special operations.
Les chiens d'assaut et de recherche d'explosifs: indispensables dans les missions des opérateurs du #RAID pic.twitter.com/vb5lGjnwjO
— Police Nationale (@PoliceNationale) November 18, 2015