Opinion: France attacks spark global war on terrorism

The strongest language is still insufficient when condemning Friday's terrorist attacks in Paris which killed 129 people and injured more than 300. The rest of the world shares the grief with the French people over the loss of innocent lives, and the international community should rally more closely in combating terrorism.

A girl holds a French flag during a vigil for the victims of the Paris attacks, outside the White House in Washington November 14, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

About seven well-coordinated shootings and bombings took place in central Paris, the most serious one taking place at the Bataclan Theater and concert hall where gunmen took hostage of people attending a rock concert before shooting the hostages at will.

This is the second terrorist attack in Paris this year after the shooting rampage outside the office of Paris-based Charlie Hebdo magazine on Jan 7 which took the lives of 12 people. It also marks the worst violent carnage in France since World War II.

China has joined the international community to condemn the brutal slaughters against innocent people by offering its deep condolences to the families of the victims, and threw its weight behind French President Francois Hollande who has vowed to fight the attackers "without mercy".

What happened in Paris on Friday night bears every emblem of terrorist attacks: Witnesses said attackers shouted "jihadist" slogans in Arabian when shooting at the hostages at the Bataclan Theater. A CNN report states that one gunman said he and three other attackers were from Syria and recruited by the Islamic State terrorist group.

In an online statement distributed by supporters on Saturday, the IS group claimed responsibility for the attacks in Paris. Despite of the efforts of international communities in combating the IS group in the Middle East, the terrorist group still has the ability to organize and plan attacks beyond its sphere of influence.

Given the magnitude of the group's brutality, its evil skills to strike in an unexpected time and at an unexpected place, the importance of security in countries which may face a high potential risk for terrorist attacks can never be overstated.

Home to a large number of Islamic immigrants, especially from northern Africa, France is also a member of the US-led coalition which has been conducting air strikes against IS targets in Syria and Iraq since September of last year.

Apart from retaliation, the IS group may also want to sow the seeds of fear and show strength before the eyes of its global supporters, but it's doomed to failure as the lesson of blood can only make righteous people grow stronger as they know mercy on terror is cruelty to humanity.

The terrorist attacks in Paris sounded the alarms for France and other European countries to step up efforts in plugging security loopholes and hunt down every trace of terrorist extremists. French President Francois Hollande declared late Friday night a state of emergency across France, saying "unprecedented terrorist attacks are ongoing in Paris."

After January's Charlie Hebdo assault, media reports said some 1,100 French residents were related to different "jihadist" groups as terrorist groups such as the IS have used their underground networks and social media to disseminate their ideology and recruit members among young people.

There have been warnings in recent months on the possible infiltration of terrorists into Europe in disguise of refugees since the European refugee crisis broke out. Obviously, France is facing a big challenge to defuse potential risks from an increasing number of terrorists and extremist on its soil.

The grave situation in France could trigger a chain of reactions among European countries at large. Some extremists may flee France and enter other countries, posing security challenges to these countries. Countries in the region should step up security checks and make sure the tragedy in Paris will not be repeated elsewhere.

Repercussions of Paris terrorist attacks may lead Europe into a dilemma when coping with the on-going refugee crisis. With the advent of wintertime, EU countries are already under huge pressure to provide both shelter and food to refugees. The Paris attacks could weaken some countries' commitments in taking in more refugees.

Poland has already responded to the Paris attacks by demanding security guarantees before accepting its allocation of refugees under a European Union quota system, and saying the carnage puts the EU's entire migrant policy in question.

The two rounds of terrorist attacks that hit Paris this year and the refugee crisis are a spillover from the turmoil in the Middle East, especially the crisis in Syria.

The biggest lesson of blood from Paris attacks, then, lies in the urgency of building greater international consensuses and conducing more international cooperation in the global fight against terrorism. Especially the IS group, which has been wreaking havoc in Syria and Iraq for more than a year.

The international community should both heighten its fight against the IS group and do more to eliminate the soil of terrorism. Countries which have already involved in military operations against IS group in the Middle East, the United States in particular, should join hands with all forces that are willing to fight the terrorist group.

Before the scourge of terrorism can be removed, countries around the world should remain vigilance as the Paris attacks bare the inhumane and destructive nature of terrorism.