Four hostages have died in the siege in the kosher Jewish supermarket at Porte de Vincennes in Paris. It remains unclear if they were killed before the assault. The suspected terrorist gunman Amedy Coulibaly was killed as he fired on the police officers when they broke into the shop.

Television pictures showed a body lying motionless on the floor of the shop as the police entered the supermarket. Gunfire followed an explosion and as the assault force piled into the building many of the hostages were seen running from the scene.

Fifteen were freed, some were carried out on stretchers while a young child was seen being carried away.

Earlier on Friday a man claiming to be the gunman Amedy Coulibaly told French TV station BFMTV that he was a member of the Islamic State militant group and that he had “co-ordinated” his attack with the Kouachi brothers. He was also suspected of being behind the shooting of a policewoman in the capital on Thursday.