ISIS has been focused on building a caliphate in the Middle East. But its claim of responsibility for the carnage in Paris shows it can unleash a powerful, coordinated attack far from its home turf.
NPR's Scott Simon recalls the Cold War fears of his youth, and wonders at how much has changed. The terror remains, but today it takes a starkly different form: surprise attacks on innocent civilians.
Haxie Meyers-Belkin, a journalist with France 24, speaks with NPR's Scott Simon. She was on the scene at a restaurant shortly after shots were fired in Paris.
NPR's Eleanor Beardsley, reporting from Paris, explains what is known so far about Friday night's attacks there. She talks to Scott Simon about the killings, and Parisians' attempts to cope Saturday.
French President Francois Hollande is blaming the Islamic State for the attacks overnight in Paris, and the group has claimed responsibility. The large-scale terrorist attack against an international target would mark a departure for the militant group.
A series of shootings and explosions killed 127 in and around the French capital on Friday night. This is what Paris looked like in the immediate aftermath.
U.S. officials say the sophistication of the attacks provides some clues as to who is responsible. Their suspicions point to al-Qaida because the group specializes in these kinds of attacks.
There was one, possibly two, explosions outside a soccer stadium in France. NPR's Audie Cornish talks with a freelance reporter Ben Barnier who was at the soccer game when the explosions occured.