Investing.com -- U.S. president Barack Obama strongly condemned the mass-killings in Paris on Friday night hours after the French capital came under attack by a wave of terror.
While issuing a brief statement from the White House press room, Obama said the U.S. stands ready to provide aid to France. At least 60 people are feared to be dead in a the terrorist attacks in Central France, CNN's Paris affiliate BFMTV reported on Friday evening. Reports from BFMTV indicate that there were six separate shootings in the French capital during the attacks, as well as three explosions near the Stade de France soccer stadium. Hostages were also captured at a theater in the 10th district of Paris, BFMTV reported, one of at least three sites where the shootings took place. Reports also surfaced of a shooting at a restaurant in East Paris.
"Once again we've seen an outrageous attempt to terrorize innocent civilians," Obama said. "This is an attack on all of humanity and the universal values we share."
The attacks came amid widespread debate on whether the world's major powers should accept refugees from the Middle East seeking asylum. In September, Obama said the U.S. could accept as many as 10,000 Syrian refugees if the government can screen and clear such a high level over the next year. By 2017, the U.S. could accept as many as 100,000 refugees from Syria, up from its current annual total of 85,000, according to the Wall Street Journal. Earlier on Friday, the U.S. Defense Department said it will provide $115 million in humanitarian aid to refugees displaced from Syria and Iraq. France president Francois Hollande also announced plans in September to accept 24,000 refugees over a period of two years.
Hollande declared a state of emergency in Paris on Friday night, while announcing that he is immediately closing all of the nation's borders.