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French police and special forces launch 4.25am operation to storm Saint-Denis flat containing seven Paris terrorists. 

Mastermind behind Friday's massacres, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, 27, believed to be inside Saint-Denis apartment.

Female suicide bomber who fired AK-47 at police believed to be his wife or cousin. Other suspect killed by grenade.

Five people taken alive from flat and arrested as well as two others 'nearby' as stand-off ended after six hours. 

Security sources claimed they were 'fourth unit' from ISIS cell set to attack Paris' main airport and shopping center.

The raid was on a flat in the north of Paris - close to the three attacks close to the Stade de France - and not far from the shootings and suicide attacks on Bataclan and a series of bars, restaurants and cafes.

Agence France-Presse reported that the target of the police siege in Saint-Denis is Abdelhamid Abaaoud, thought to be the mastermind behind the Paris attacks. It had been thought that he was in Syria.

Police officers take up positions in Saint Denis while surrounding a flat where the Paris killers are believed to be holed up in northern Paris.

French media reports the raid is part of an ongoing operation to catch the ninth suspect involved in Friday night's terror attacks in the French capital, who is thought to be on the run.

French special police forces secure the area as shots are exchanged in Saint-Denis before dawn this morning.

Armed police and a police helicopter have secured the area surrounding the apartment where a group of six were thought to have barricaded themselves in.

A special armed response unit took part in the raid and several police officers have been hurt.

Shots were exchanged for long periods in the large police operation in Saint-Denis which began early this morning.

Police using bullet-proof shields point their guns towards the sieged building as more than 100 police and special forces stormed the block. Five officers have been injured and a police dog was killed.

Armed police stop and search a man in the street near the apartment as it emerged that a female suicide bomber has blown herself up and another suspect was killed by a grenade.

Residents have been told to hide in their homes and away from windows and some have also been evacuated.

The siege took place on Rue du Corbillon - a narrow street linking two of Saint-Denis' main roads - where forensics teams are now gathering evidence against the terror suspects taken alive.

Teams of armed police appeared on a street outside the flat before dawn followed by several trucks of soldiers and special forces as back up.

Armed officers hidden behind a bullet proof shield on wheels, left, and others in riot gear and bullet proof vests helped end the stand-off.

Police move in on the apartment where the female suicide bomber blew herself up after firing an AK-47 machine at officers. At least one other jihadi is also dead.

Police with pistols drawn rush towards the apartment block while soldiers with machine guns peer around the corner close to the siege.

Five men holed up inside the apartment were arrested, while two others were detained near the location of the raid.

Seven people in total have been arrested in the operation including two people away from the under siege flat, left outside a shopping centre and right near the apartment block.

Hooded police officers pull a man arrested in the gun battle through crowds of other officers and soldiers as the Saint-Denis siege ended after six hours.

The terror suspect was dragged from the building and broken glass with no trousers on - presumably in case he was wearing a suicide belt - as police trained their weapons on the flat.

Five hours after the siege started at around 4.30am police reinforcements continued to run down towards the flat.

A police officer with an injured foot is one of at least five police who have been injured in the ferocious gunfight. The terrorists also shot and killed a seven-year-old specialist police dog Diesel, sent into the block.

A sobbing woman, left, and a man carrying a baby in a pink coat and pyjamas, centre, are surrounded by dozens of masked and armed police evacuating residents from the siege street.

French medics were ordered to put up sheets as some seven people arrested were transferred to Bobigny hospital. Two have been shot in the arm and are being operated on at a secure hospital in Bobigny, Paris.

Elite police units were also involved in the ongoing siege which saw two jihadis die, five suspects arrested with several more still hiding.

Witnesses said that more than 100 armed police and special forces in full battle gear were taking part in the operation to 'neutralise' the terrorists.

At least 100 police officers and soldiers are understood to have taken part in the operation in northern Paris suburb of Saint Denis.

Anti-terror police officers with bullet-proof shields take up positions behind a bar during the siege in Saint Denis, a northern suburb of Paris, as they stormed a flat containing up to six Paris massacre suspects.

Police and the French army (pictured) surrounded a flat containing suspected Paris terrorists including the mastermind of the attacks.

After the siege ended this morning a huge team of forensics started work outside the flat - marking out spent bullets with numbers next to them.