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Toulouse killings arrest denied Toulouse killings arrest denied
(40 minutes later)
France's interior minister has denied reports that security forces have arrested the main suspect in the recent spate of shootings around Toulouse.France's interior minister has denied reports that security forces have arrested the main suspect in the recent spate of shootings around Toulouse.
Claude Gueant said the arrest had not yet taken place. Claude Gueant said negotiations were continuing with the suspect, named as Mohammed Merah, 23, a Frenchman of Algerian origin.
BFM TV had reported that the suspect, named earlier as Mohammed Merah, 23, a Frenchman of Algerian origin, was detained inside a block of flats that has been under siege all morning. BFM TV earlier reported that Merah had been detained inside a block of flats that has been surrounded by police.
Merah is suspected of killing three soldiers and four Jewish people. He is suspected of killing three soldiers and four Jewish people.
The killings took place in and around Toulouse in three separate incidents. The killings took place in and around Toulouse in three separate incidents earlier this month.
On 11 March, a soldier was shot and killed after replying to an advertisement offering a motorcycle for sale.
Just after President Sarkozy arrived in Toulouse for meetings at a military barracks close to where the siege is taking place, reports began circulating that it was all over, Mohammed Merah had been arrested.
But minutes later came the denials. First by local officials in Toulouse, then by the interior minister himself. It all added to the tension. How will the siege which began at 3am local time on Wednesday morning, be brought to an end?
Officially the French government says it wants to capture him alive so that he can stand trial on charges of murdering seven people and injuring at least two others.
But it will not be an easy operation if he decides to stand and fight. He is reported to have an automatic rifle, a sub machinegun and grenades inside his apartment.
Days later, two soldiers were shot and killed and a third was wounded while waiting for money from a cash machine.
And earlier this week, three children and an adult were shot and killed outside a Jewish school.
President Nicolas Sarkozy is attending a memorial at a military base in nearby Montauban for the three murdered soldiers.
He has been speaking to Jewish community leaders, and reportedly told them that the gunmen had been planning more attacks before police had surrounded his apartment block.
'Vengeance' claim
Police surrounded Merah's block of flats after two officers were shot at when they tried to get into his flat.Police surrounded Merah's block of flats after two officers were shot at when they tried to get into his flat.
Officials say he is heavily armed with a Kalashnikov high-velocity rifle, a mini-Uzi 9mm machine pistol, several handguns and possibly grenades.Officials say he is heavily armed with a Kalashnikov high-velocity rifle, a mini-Uzi 9mm machine pistol, several handguns and possibly grenades.
Police are hunting for accomplices and have detained several members of his family. The five-story block of flats was evacuated earlier, and police were also moving residents of nearby buildings.
Elsewhere in the city, police are hunting for accomplices and have detained several members of his family.
His mother was taken to the scene in the hope that she could persuade him to surrender, but she told police that she had no influence over her son.His mother was taken to the scene in the hope that she could persuade him to surrender, but she told police that she had no influence over her son.
Negotiators have been talking to Merah all morning, but Mr Gueant, who is at the scene, said he appeared to have no particular demands.Negotiators have been talking to Merah all morning, but Mr Gueant, who is at the scene, said he appeared to have no particular demands.
The suspect has said he belonged to al-Qaeda and acted to "avenge Palestinian children".The suspect has said he belonged to al-Qaeda and acted to "avenge Palestinian children".
He had apparently spent time in Pakistan and Afghanistan, where he was jailed for three years for planting bombs.He had apparently spent time in Pakistan and Afghanistan, where he was jailed for three years for planting bombs.
The prison director in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan, Gulam Farooq, told the BBC that Merah was arrested in 2007, but escaped in a Taliban-led break-out in 2008.The prison director in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan, Gulam Farooq, told the BBC that Merah was arrested in 2007, but escaped in a Taliban-led break-out in 2008.
President Nicolas Sarkozy has arrived in Toulouse and is expected to speak to the media shortly. href="/news/special/world/europe/12/toulouse_mini_timeline/css/main.css?cachebuster=cb00000001" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />

How French police tracked down the gunman

 6 March: A Yamaha T-MAX scooter like the one above was stolen and used by the suspect in the targeted killings. The suspect later asked a garage how to re-spray the machine and how to switch off its tracker device. 11 March: French paratrooper, Imad Ibn-Ziaten, was lured to a meeting with the suspect after advertising his own scooter for sale. The suspect sent an email to arrange a meeting at which he killed the soldier. 21 March: The email address led to this apartment block in Toulouse. Two policemen were lightly wounded when they knocked on the door of an apartment. The heavily armed gunman is surrounded by police.
In an earlier televised address, he paid tribute to the security forces who are carrying out the operation and said terrorism "will never be able to fracture our national community".