Two hooded Islamist gunmen have attacked the Paris office of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, killing ten journalists and editors and two policemen and injuring seven, several of them in critical condition.

The assailants entered the editorial offices of the magazine and opened fire with assault rifles, before escaping the building and engaging the police on the street outside in a heavy fire exchange, killing two of the police officers. They managed to get into their car and fleets with police in the street outside before escaping by car.

President Francois Hollande described the event as a terrorist attack “of exceptional barbarity.” Charlie Hebdo, a no-holds-barred satirical weekly, has made a name for itself for its irreverence when reporting – and mocking – the news. The offices of the magazine were fire-bombed in November 2011 a day after it carried a caricature which hurt Islamic sentiments.

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has condemned the attack in Paris. “Condemnable and despicable attack in Paris. Our solidarity with people of France. My thoughts are with the families of those who lost their lives,” the Prime Minister said.