What Happened?
The unidentified assailant allegedly of Moroccan origin first fired shots at police officers near the city of Carcassonne in the morning. One of the officers suffered a shoulder injury, but his life is out of danger. According to French police union official, he killed one man by shooting him in the head in the same city.
The shooter later went to a Super U supermarket in the town of Trebes using a car. There he killed one person and severely injured another, who is in life-threatening condition, according to Yves Lefebvre, secretary general of the SGP Police-FO police union.
— Prise d'otages en cours dans le Super U de Trèbes, dans l'Aude
— Timothée Vilars (@TimoVilars) 23 марта 2018 г.
— Un CRS blessé par balle à Carcassonne par un homme arméhttps://t.co/Bf8og1ra4r pic.twitter.com/VWgc6KlWJk
READ MORE: Macron: All Evidence Suggests Incident in Southern France a 'Terrorist Attack'
"Daesh Soldier" of Moroccan Origin — Reports
According to AP citing a security source, the attacker has been identified as a 26-year-old Moroccan and was flagged for being a potential extremist. The car he used to arrive to the supermarket was in the General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI) database, reports the local LCI TV channel. According to BFM, the attacker claimed to be a "Daesh* soldier". The terrorist group later issued a confirmation saying that the attacker was a "soldier of the caliphate."
Local media report that a man was armed with double-edged weapons and firearms and allegedly shouted "Allah Akbar."
The assailant demanded the release of the only surviving Paris November 2015 attacker Salah Abdeslam, reported BFM TV citing an anonymous source.
What Is the Current Situation in Trebes?
According to BFM TV, the mother and sister of the gunman have arrived at the supermarket, where he continues to hold hostages.
Media report police have launched a raid on the attacker's positions and shot him down. French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb confirmed this information.
Un terroriste attaque dans un super U en France pic.twitter.com/dMcB6mdUhD
— SSF (@SauveteursSSF) 23 марта 2018 г.
Shooting, #hostage-taking at #supermarket in south #France, policeman hurt. Islamic State group claims French hostage-taking: AFP #Trèbes #Carcassonne Shootout against policemen pic.twitter.com/QCHwVlQRz9
— sudhakar (@naidusudhakar) 23 марта 2018 г.
French police report that so far three people have been killed as a result of the shooting and hostage taking incident, about a dozen have been injured. The Interior Ministry has confirmed the information of three dead. The interior minister confirmed he was under supervision, as he was known to the police. He added that he acted alone and used to be a petty drug dealer. The attack is considered a terrorist attack by French officials.
*Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS) is a terrorist organization banned in Russia.
