As France and the world try to comprehend the violence which cost at least 129 lives in Paris, authorities are piecing together the sequence of events and the full scale of the horror.

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Events unfolded quickly around Paris but were over in about two hours. France was placed under a nationwide state of emergency.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks, releasing a statement in French and Arabic.

The group said it would continue to target France for as long as it continued its “crusader campaign” and accused the the country of “striking Muslims in the caliphate with their aircraft”.

The assailants struck at least six different venues, ranging from the national sports stadium to a pizzeria in attacks in eastern Paris. Here’s what we know.

(Click on the owl for a timeline of the attacks  )

Paris attacks at a glance

Attack sites: 6
Attackers: 8
Attackers killed by suicide bombs: 7
Attacker shot dead: 1
Explosions heard at Stade de France: 2
Total Death Toll: 129
Injured: more than 352, 99 in a critical condition
Soldiers deployed around the city: 1500
Capacity of Bataclan Hall: 1200

The Bataclan Concert Hall

A woman is being evacuated from the Bataclan theater after a shooting in Paris. Photo: Getty

• Around 87 patrons died at the Bataclan concert hall in eastern Paris

• American band ‘Eagles of Death Metal’ were performing at the Bataclan, when unmasked gunmen reportedly began firing into the audience.

• The prefect of Paris’ police force said three of the four attackers at the Bataclan blew themselves up with suicide belts as police stormed the building.

• Earlier, the same alleged attackers fired machine guns on patrons at cafes outside of the concert hall.

• They then went into the theatre and opened fire, reportedly shooting audience members one by one.

• French security forces stormed the building after a two hour stand off between police and the suspected gunmen.

• Buses have been seen leaving the venue, reportedly moving survivors of the attack at the concert to safety.

• Mr Hollande visited the scene at the Bataclan to offer his support.

Scroll to the bottom for a map of all the attack locations

• “It was a bloodbath,” Julien Pearce, a reporter for France’s Europe 1 radio station, told CNN.

“People yelled, screamed and everybody lying on the floor, and it lasted for 10 minutes, 10 minutes, 10 horrific minutes where everybody was on the floor covering their head(s).”

“We heard so many gunshots and the terrorists were very calm, very determined and they reloaded three or four times their weapons and they didn’t shout anything. They didn’t say anything.”

Stade de France

• Two explosions occurred outside the Stade de France stadium during a France-Germany soccer match, where three are believed dead.

• One of the explosions occurred at “Gate J” of the stadium, another at a nearby bar.

• Mr Hollande, who was at the soccer match, declared a state of emergency, and closed France’s borders.

• Police have confirmed at least one explosion in a bar near the stadium.

• An explosion could be heard at the 20 minute mark of the match from inside the stadium. However, the game went on to the end.

• At the end of the game large sections of the crowd remained on the pitch as they’d been told it was not safe to leave.

Petit Cambodge restaurant

• Another attack occurred at a Cambodian restaurant called Petit Cambodge and nearby restaurant Le Carillon in the 10th Arrondissement on Rue Alibert and Bichat.

• This is not far from the Bataclan venue that was hosting the concert, and the Charlie Hebdo offices.

• 12 people were reportedly killed at the restaurants and several others injured.

• Police had been engaged in a shootout with a gunman at these restaurants.

• Eye witnesses said there had been several injuries with bodies and those hurt strewn across the street.

Le Belle Equipe bar

• The Paris prosecutor confirmed 19 people had been killed at the bar on the Rue de Charonne.

• French soldiers secured the area around the bar.

La Casa Nostra restaurant

•  Mr Molins said five people died at Rue De la Fontaine au Roi.

Other information:

A rescuer evacuates an injured person on Boulevard des Filles du Calvaire, close to the Bataclan concert hall. Photo: AFP

• Eight suspected gunmen who carried out the attacks are believed to be dead.

• The attacks come amid heightened security measures ahead of the global climate summit in Paris in two weeks’ time.

• France has been on high alert since the jihadist attacks in January against Charlie Hebdo magazine and a Jewish supermarket that left 17 dead.

• US President Barack Obama has condemned the latest attacks.

• The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has urged Australians in Paris to avoid public places.

•  NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn says vigilance against local terror threats in Australia likely be ramped up.

Here is a map of where all the attacks happened. Click the markers for more information.

– with AAP