This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-43518769
The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 0 | Version 1 |
---|---|
France hostage crisis: Police shoot supermarket gunman | France hostage crisis: Police shoot supermarket gunman |
(35 minutes later) | |
Armed police have shot a suspect who took hostages at a supermarket in the southern French town of Trèbes. | |
The gunman, who is reported to have killed three people, is now dead, said government sources. | |
Reports say the gunman, believed to be Moroccan, pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group. | Reports say the gunman, believed to be Moroccan, pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group. |
He is believed to have killed and wounded his victims in three separate incidents which began in Carcassonne, 15 minutes' drive from Trèbes. | |
There, he reportedly hijacked a car, killing one passenger and injuring the driver. | |
He also shot and wounded a policeman who was jogging with colleagues in Carcassonne. | |
The suspect is then believed to have driven to Trèbes, where he took hostages in the Super-U supermarket in the small town. | |
He is said to have been heavily armed and demanding the release of Salah Abdeslam, the most important surviving suspect in the 13 November 2015 attacks in Paris, which killed 130 people. | |
Reports say the suspect was known to French intelligence services and that his mother is at the scene. | Reports say the suspect was known to French intelligence services and that his mother is at the scene. |
A security source told French news agency AFP that most employees and customers at the supermarket "managed to flee". | |
Earlier, Prime Minister Édouard Philippe said that all signs pointed towards a "terrorist act". | |
Hundreds of police officers were deployed to the area and the vicinity was cordoned off. | |
Counter-terrorism prosecutors are leading the investigation but few details have been provided. | |
France has been hit with several deadly jihadist attacks since 2015 and has been on high alert since. A state of emergency put in place after the 2015 attacks in Paris was lifted in October. | |
In February, Salah Abdeslam went on trial in Belgium over a shootout in Brussels that led to his capture months after the Paris attacks. He is not expected to go on trial in France until 2020 at the earliest. | |
Major terror attacks in France | |
Are you in the area? Have you witnessed what has happened? If it is safe to share your experience please email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | |
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | |
Or use the form below |