Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull described the Paris terrorist attacks as an assault on all humanity and “the work of the devil”.

In Berlin on his way to the G20 Leaders Summit in Turkey, Mr Turnbull made a 5.30am press statement after talks with security chiefs and other members of his national security committee of cabinet.

“The home of freedom has been assaulted by terrorists determined to attack and suppress freedom not just in France but throughout the world,” the Prime Minister said. “This is an attack, as President Obama has said, on all humanity.”

Saying reliable information on the attacks was scarce, Mr Turnbull said Australia stood shoulder to shoulder with France, which he praised for its response to the attacks that are believed to have killed at least 120 people and injured many more.

… International terrorism expert Professor Rohan Gunaratna, of the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, said “every successful terrorist attack is an intelligence failure”.

He said he believed the attacks in Paris had been inspired and instigated by Islamic State (IS).