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| French train shooting: Three injured after gunman opens fire on Amsterdam to Paris train | French train shooting: Three injured after gunman opens fire on Amsterdam to Paris train |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A gunman has injured three people - two critically - after he opened fire on a high-speed French train travelling from Amsterdam to Paris. | A gunman has injured three people - two critically - after he opened fire on a high-speed French train travelling from Amsterdam to Paris. |
| The suspect, who was armed with an automatic rifle and a knife, opened fire on the Thalys train at around 6pm local time (4pm BST), according to a spokesman for the SNCF national rail operator. | The suspect, who was armed with an automatic rifle and a knife, opened fire on the Thalys train at around 6pm local time (4pm BST), according to a spokesman for the SNCF national rail operator. |
| The train was travelling through Belgian at the time of the incident which culminated in the gunman being arrested in the northern French border-town of Arras. | The train was travelling through Belgian at the time of the incident which culminated in the gunman being arrested in the northern French border-town of Arras. |
| The armed man was apprehended by passengers, a spokesman from SNCF told the AFP news agency. The pair, both foreigners, were off-duty members of the military according to local reports. | The armed man was apprehended by passengers, a spokesman from SNCF told the AFP news agency. The pair, both foreigners, were off-duty members of the military according to local reports. |
| The train was evacuated following the shooting, and a suspect has been taken into custody, Pierre-Henri Brandet, a spokesman for the French Interior Ministry has said. | The train was evacuated following the shooting, and a suspect has been taken into custody, Pierre-Henri Brandet, a spokesman for the French Interior Ministry has said. |
| A Kalashnikov was used during the shooting, according to reports from the La Voix du Nord local newspaper. | |
| French investigating police in protective clothing collect clues inside the Thalys high-speed train (Image: Reuters) Two of the victims are now in a critical condition, according to a statement from the office of President Francois Hollande. Of the three injured, one was hurt by a gunshot and the other with a knife, according to according to the French daily Le Monde. | |
| Speaking on the BFM TV station, Brandet added that the identity of the gunman and the motivation for the attack is unknown. | Speaking on the BFM TV station, Brandet added that the identity of the gunman and the motivation for the attack is unknown. |
| However, Sliman Hamzi, an official with the police union Alliance, told the AP news agency that the man was a 26-year-old Moroccan. | However, Sliman Hamzi, an official with the police union Alliance, told the AP news agency that the man was a 26-year-old Moroccan. |
| The arrested man has appeared on a French intelligence agency list, according to the AFP news angecy. | The arrested man has appeared on a French intelligence agency list, according to the AFP news angecy. |
| The Thalys train operator has tweeted that the emergency services attended the scene, and that passengers are safe. | The Thalys train operator has tweeted that the emergency services attended the scene, and that passengers are safe. |
| @gillesklein The situation is under control, the travelers are safe. The train stopped and the emergency services are on site. | @gillesklein The situation is under control, the travelers are safe. The train stopped and the emergency services are on site. |
| The passengers approached the man after hearing the sound of a heavy weapon being loaded in the toilet, and stopped him from entering the main train aisle, according to the La Voix du Nord. | |
| The pair were reportedly off-duty members of the military from the US and the UK, according to Le Monde. However, La Voix du Nord has reported that the men were both US Marines. | The pair were reportedly off-duty members of the military from the US and the UK, according to Le Monde. However, La Voix du Nord has reported that the men were both US Marines. |
| French judicial police stand on the train platform near weapon cartridges and a backpack in Arras (Image: Reuters) Crime and forensic investigators at Arras station (Image: AFP) Following his arrest, the man has refused to speak to police officers in Arras, Le Monde reported. | |
| President Hollande is co-operating with Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, according a statement from the French government, as French interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve heads to the scene. | President Hollande is co-operating with Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, according a statement from the French government, as French interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve heads to the scene. |
| The UK Foreign Office has told BBC News that it is aware of reports of shots being fired, and it was in touch with the French authorities. | The UK Foreign Office has told BBC News that it is aware of reports of shots being fired, and it was in touch with the French authorities. |
| More to follow | More to follow |
| Additional reporting by AP and Reuters | Additional reporting by AP and Reuters |