PARIS- 12 people were killed in a shooting today at the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo, a satirical newspaper firebombed in the past after publishing cartoons joking about Muslim leaders. According to France Info radio, police had confirmed a toll of 12 dead and 10 injured.

French President Francois Hollande says the attack on the Charlie Hebdo weekly, which has frequently drawn condemnation from Muslims, is "a terrorist attack, without a doubt," and says several other attacks have been thwarted "in recent weeks." France has raised its alert to the highest level, and reinforced security at worship places, stores, media offices and transportation.

Hooded gunmen stormed the Paris offices of a weekly satirical magazine known for lampooning radical Islam, killing at least 12 people, including two police officers in the worst militant attack on French soil in recent decades.

One of the men was captured on video shouting "Allah!" as four shots rang out. Two assailants were then seen calmly leaving the scene.

A police union official said the assailants remained at liberty and there were fears of further attacks.

Charlie Hebdo (Charlie Weekly) is well known for courting controversy with satirical attacks on political and religious leaders and has published numerous cartoons mocking figures from Islamic history.

A short amateur video broadcast by French television stations showed two hooded men outside the building. One of them sees a wounded policeman lying on the ground and strides over to him to shoot him dead at point-blank range. The two then walk over to a black saloon car and drive off.