Suspected IS gunman takes hostages in France supermarket

French prosecutors said a man claiming allegiance to the Islamic State group fired shots during a hostage-taking at a supermarket in southwest France on Friday, killing at least two people.

MENA

1 min read

The New Arab

23 March, 2018

A gunman who fired shots during a hostage-taking at a supermarket in southwest France on Friday morning claimed allegiance to the Islamic State group, the local prosecutor's office said, confirming at least two deaths.

The attack took place in the town of Trebes. Shortly beforehand, an armed man shot and injured a police officer in the city of Carcassonne, about 15 minutes by car from Trebes. It was not clear whether the two incidents were linked.

French prosecutors said they are treating the hostage-taking at the Super U shop as a terror incident.

Police said at least two of eight people held are feared to be dead.

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Since 2015, more than 239 people have been killed in France by militants, according to an AFP count.

A state of emergency put in place just after the Paris attacks was finally lifted in October last year, but soldiers continue to patrol major tourist sites and transport hubs under an anti-terror mission.

France has deployed troops and its air force to the Middle East and is a leading partner in the US-led international coalition fighting IS in Iraq and Syria, where the militants are being driven back.