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'Hostages held' in France Toulouse bank incident France bank incident: 'Hostages held' in Toulouse
(40 minutes later)
Four people have been taken hostage in a bank in the southern French city of Toulouse by a man claiming to be linked to al-Qaeda, police say.Four people have been taken hostage in a bank in the southern French city of Toulouse by a man claiming to be linked to al-Qaeda, police say.
The man fired a shot and demanded to speak to the elite police unit that shot Islamist gunman Mohamed Merah. The man demanded to speak to the elite police unit that shot Islamist gunman Mohamed Merah.
Merah, who claimed al-Qaeda training, killed seven people in Toulouse before he was shot dead by police in March.Merah, who claimed al-Qaeda training, killed seven people in Toulouse before he was shot dead by police in March.
However, police official Cedric Delage said the man took hostages after an attempted armed robbery went wrong. Officials say the gunman first demanded money. When he was refused, a shot was fired and hostages taken.
The area around the bank has been cordoned off. There are no reports of injuries so far.
The area around the bank has been cordoned off and a nearby school has been closed.
"We do not know if his claim about al-Qaeda is serious or a fantasy," a police union source told the regional newspaper Ouest-France."We do not know if his claim about al-Qaeda is serious or a fantasy," a police union source told the regional newspaper Ouest-France.
Investigation
The BBC's Christian Fraser, in Paris, says the bank is 100 metres (330ft) from Merah's flat, in an area adjacent to the barracks where the elite Raid police unit was based during the siege of Merah's flat.The BBC's Christian Fraser, in Paris, says the bank is 100 metres (330ft) from Merah's flat, in an area adjacent to the barracks where the elite Raid police unit was based during the siege of Merah's flat.
No Raid officers are at the scene yet, our correspondent says.No Raid officers are at the scene yet, our correspondent says.
A police official told the Associated Press no injuries had been reported so far. Mohamed Merah, a Frenchman of Algerian descent, killed seven people in three separate attacks. His victims included three children and a teacher at a Jewish school, and three soldiers. Merah filmed his attacks and sent the footage to police.
Mohamed Merah, a Frenchman of Algerian descent, killed seven people in three separate attacks. His victims included three children and a teacher at a Jewish school, and three soldiers.
He was shot dead by a police sniper on 22 March after commandos stormed his flat.He was shot dead by a police sniper on 22 March after commandos stormed his flat.
Merah was suspected to have had an accomplice within the Muslim community, our correspondent says.
In the wake of the shootings, the French authorities set up an investigation into whether Merah had accomplices and into possible Islamist indoctrination practices in prisons.In the wake of the shootings, the French authorities set up an investigation into whether Merah had accomplices and into possible Islamist indoctrination practices in prisons.
Merah filmed his attacks and sent the footage to police. They have shown zero tolerance to anyone known to have used Islamist internet sites or to have had links to a fringe al-Qaeda group to which Merah is said to have belonged, our correspondent says.
On 7 June, a man armed with a shotgun took hostage a security guard at the French weather service, Meteo France. The hostage-taker fired several shots and was seriously injured when police returned fire.On 7 June, a man armed with a shotgun took hostage a security guard at the French weather service, Meteo France. The hostage-taker fired several shots and was seriously injured when police returned fire.
His hostage was uninjured.His hostage was uninjured.
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