Philippines condemns Paris terror attack

MANILA, Philippines - The government on Thursday condemned the terrorist attack at the offices of a newspaper in Paris, France that killed 12 people and wounded 11 more.

In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the government is "appalled by the senseless attack" on Wednesday noon, which is now considered as the deadliest terrorist act in France in half a century.

"We join the French nation and the rest of the world in denouncing this blatant disregard for human lives and the fundamental right of expression," the DFA said.

"We condole and sympathize with the families of the victims as they mourn the loss of their loved ones and begin their quest for justice," the agency added.

Masked gunmen stormed the offices of the Charlie Hebdo, a weekly satirical newspaper that caricatured the Prophet Muhammad, located near Paris' Bastille monument.

The gunmen claimed links to al-Qaida, shouting "Allahu akbar!" as they fired and killed 12 people including the editor and wounded 11 others — four of them seriously.

Police identified the suspects as French brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi, in their early 30s, and 18-year-old Hamyd Mourad, whose nationality wasn't immediately clear.

World leaders have condemned the shooting as an attack on freedom of expression while supporters of the militant Islamic State group praised it. - with AP