France Trèbes: ‘One dead’ in hostage-taking at supermarket

A gunman has taken at least one person hostage in a supermarket in Trèbes, in the south of France.

Elite police have rushed to the Super U shop, and there are reports that at least one person has been killed.

Earlier, a policeman was shot while jogging with colleagues in Carcassonne, a 15-minute drive away, but was not critically injured. It is unclear if the incidents are connected.

A prosecutor says the gunman claims to be in the Islamic State group.

Prime Minister Édouard Philippe said the situation was “serious”.

The regional police chief said authorities believed one person had been killed at the supermarket but they could not yet confirm it. Other sources put the death toll at two.

Hundreds of police officers have been deployed to the area, and the vicinity has been cordoned off.

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 attacks in Paris in November 2015 that killed 130 people was lifted in October.

Source:BBC