Rifles Used in Charlie Hebdo Attacks 'Could Be from Bulgaria or Romania'

The assault rifles used by the Kouachi brothers, who killed 12 people in an attack on Chalie Hebdo's offices in Paris, could have come from Bulgaria and Romania, media reports suggest.

Cherif and Said Kouachi used the AKS-74 Kalashnikov, which have been produced only by these two countries since 1989.

Bulgaria has gradually halted production in the past years. Previously the rifles were used by the army, but were replaced to meet NATO standards.

The AKS-74s are mostly used in the Balkans and the Middle East. The Kouachi brothers are thought to have bought them on the black market.

An earlier report of the Daily Telegraph pointed out that the bullets used were likely to have been purchased in Bosnia-Herzegovina.