#JeSuisUnChien: Hero K9 Killed by Female Suicide Bomber in Paris

Earlier today, French police surrounded and then raided an apartment building in Saint-Denis, a suburb of Paris. According to French authorities, several radical Muslims were hiding in the building, among whom — they suspected — was the mastermind of the Paris attacks, Abdel-Hamid Abu Oud (also written as Abdelhamid Abaaoud).

During the siege, at least three terrorists were taken down, five others were arrested. One innocent bystander was killed, while several police officers were wounded.

Or that’s what European media reported.

We now know that one police officer was actually killed: a courageous police dog named Diesel who sacrificed himself in order to safe his handlers.

The seven-year-old Belgian shepherd dog, or Malinois, was “killed by terrorists” when French special forces raided an apartment building in Saint-Denis early on Wednesday morning.

Police National tweeted:”Diesel, a seven-year-old Malinois, police dog for RAID [France’s anti-terrorist police unit], was killed by terrorists in the ongoing operation.”

French police say Diesel died a hero’s death: he was sent into the apartment to assess the risks. When he entered, one of the terrorists inside the apartment — a woman wearing a suicide belt — fired an AK47 and detonated the bomb she was wearing. Both she and Diesel died.

Shortly after news broke of Diesel’s death, the dog became Europe’s most famous hero. Two hashtags — #Jesuisunchien and #jesuischen [“I’m a dog”] — went viral in a matter of minutes.

#JeSuisChien RIP hero pic.twitter.com/6XRxQRASSP

— Visionnaire Assoc (@visionnairasoc) November 18, 2015

Another Twitter user writes:

#JeSuisChien he is die for us❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/krkEepcqvp

— Brooke~Queen (@LoulouteBGirl) November 18, 2015

Eve Hartley adds:

RIP Diesel, police dog killed during siege on terror suspects #JeSuisChien #SaintDenis https://t.co/d3g2SPhUce pic.twitter.com/XCFGv1f8FD

— Eve Hartley (@eve_hartley) November 18, 2015

Some Twitter users have even published photos of their own dogs carrying the French flag in order to honor Diesel:

Hommage entre chiens A Diesel… #JeSuisChien pic.twitter.com/9TQud5QXqZ

— M@NU ™ (@ManuBresset) November 18, 2015

And so France continues to grieve: first for the loss of 129 innocent people who were murdered last Friday, and now for a hero K9 who gave his life to safe others.