France’s President Emmanuel Macron has paid respects to the 17 people killed when Islamic extremists attacked satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo and a kosher supermarket three years ago.

The outrages were the first of several attacks to rock France.

Along with Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo, Charlie Hebdo’s chief editor and cartoonist Laurent Sourisseau and others, Mr Macron laid wreaths and observed moments of silence on Sunday outside the former premises of the weekly newspaper and the Hyper Cacher supermarket in Paris.

French president Emmanuel Macron and Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo meet victims' relatives
French President Emmanuel Macron and Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo meet victims’ relatives (Christophe Ena/AP)

On January 7 2015, brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi killed 11 people at Charlie Hebdo’s office and a policeman in a nearby street.

The paper had caused controversy by publishing caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed.

The following days, their associate Amedy Coulibaly killed a policewoman outside Paris and four people during a hostage-taking at the supermarket.

The three attackers were killed in shootouts with police.