Paris Suspects
Pictures released by French Police in Paris show Cherif Kouachi, 32, (L) and his brother Said Kouachi, 34, (R), suspects in the attack on the offices of satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo. Getty

One of the fugitive brothers suspected of carrying out a deadly attack on French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo visited an al-Qaeda preacher in Yemen in 2011.

According to a Reuters report, Said Kouachi met preacher Anwar al-Awlaki during his stay in Yemen, and received religious education.

"We do not have confirmed information that he was trained by al-Qaeda but what was confirmed was that he has met with Awlaki in Shabwa," a source told Reuters.

Reports suggest that French police have cornered and are currently negotiating with the two brothers, Said and Cherif Kouachi, in a printworks in the town of Dammartin-en-Goele, north-east of Paris.

Meanwhile terror group Islamic State (Isis) has praised the two Islamist militants for the Charlie Hebdo massacre.

"We start our bulletin with France. Heroic jihadists killed 12 journalists and wounded ten others working in the French magazine Charlie Hebdo, and that was support for our master [Prophet] Mohammad, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him," the terror group was quoted as saying.

Charlie Hebdo Dammartin
Helicopters with French intervention forces hover above the scene of a hostage-taking at an industrial zone in Dammartin-en-Goele, northeast of Paris Pascal Rossignol/Reuters
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