Man holds hostages in French supermarket, claims allegiance to Islamic State - BFM TV

Reuters Staff

 

PARIS (Reuters) - A man holding hostages in a supermarket in southwestern France has claimed allegiance to Islamic State, BFM TV said.

 

Europe 1 radio also said an individual was holding hostages in the supermarket.

 

Earlier, France’s Interior Ministry had said security officials were carrying out an operation at a supermarket in town of Trebes in southern France, but gave no details.

 

Reporting by John Irish; Writing by Ingrid Melander

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-3-23

At least one dead in French supermarket hostage-taking - mayor

Reuters Staff

 

Police are seen at the scene of a hostage situation in a supermarket in Trebes, Aude, France March 23, 2018 in this picture obtained from a social media video. LA VIE A TREBES/via REUTERS

 

TOULOUSE, France (Reuters) - At least one person was killed when a man took hostages in a supermarket in the southwestern French town of Trebes on Friday, the mayor told BFM TV. The station reported that the hostage-taker has claimed allegiance to Islamic State.

 

Mayor Eric Menassi also told LCI TV that the man had entered the shop screaming “Allahu Akbar, (God is greatest) I’ll kill you all”.

 

Another person was hurt but their condition was not known, Menassi said. The hostage-taker was now alone with one police officer in the supermarket and all other hostages had been freed, he added.

 

LCI TV said the second victim was also dead and that 12 people were injured. (Graphics on 'France hostages' - tmsnrt.rs/2Gi8mAo)

 

“All the information we have as I speak lead us to think that this would be a terrorist act,” Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said.

 

More than 240 people have been killed in France in attacks since 2015 by assailants who pledged allegiance to, or were inspired by, Islamic State.

 

A police source had said earlier that eight people were being held hostage and that the hostage-taker had shot at a police officer.

 

Reuters pictures showed police in helmets and body armour in positions around the Super-U supermarket.

 

The Paris prosecutor’s office said counter-terrorism prosecutors were investigating the incident but did not comment on the possible Islamic State allegiance.

 

Earlier, the Interior Ministry had said security forces were carrying out an operation at a supermarket in southern France. Interior Minister Gerard Collomb was on his way.

 

“There is an ongoing situation ... in the town of Trebes, where shots have been heard and a man entrenched himself in a supermarket,” Philippe said. “It’s a serious situation.”

 

The UNSA police union also said on Twitter a police operation was underway after an individual had earlier shot at four officers in the Carcassone region, wounding one of them.

 

Reporting by Johanna Decorse in Toulouse, Leigh Thomas, Emmanuel Jarry and Bate Felix in Paris; Writing by Ingrid Melander and David Stamp; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-3-23

Not again, getting sick of this Allahu Akbar brainwashed idiots.

It is now over. The hostage taker was shot dead when security forces raided the supermarket. 3 other deaths being reported and several injuries, one of which is serious.

Apparently, the perp was "known" to security services and viewed as a potential terrorist. If that was his status, should he have been enjoying the freedom to fulfil his potential?

It won't be long before the muslim appologists tell us what a wonderful religion islam is.

The Muslims can't have it both ways

 

I was chastised earlier for suggesting that profiling SHOULD be used in selecting staff for security roles at our ports

 

And now AGAIN we have one of these awful people committing an atrocity even after being on the radar

 

I take this opportunity to again state that at KLIA1 I once interceded to INSIST that a whole "family" of Muslims remove their Alladin Pantomime head gear so they could be identified. Mind you, I am a Yorkshireman and travelling upfront. I know not what had most influence! No more pussyfooting around.

Edited March 23, 20188 yr by Grouse

Carcassone is such a beautiful area too. Bastards. 

Edited March 23, 20188 yr by Grouse

So...

A low life Maroccan drug dealer, 26,  stormed a  supermarket taking hostages, killed 3 persons and wounded 16 others in the name of radical Islamism, in France. 

A  French military officer, 45, was wounded after he voluntered to go into the supermarket so that the hostage could be freed,

Civilization gap.    

 

 

Edited March 23, 20188 yr by Opl

Lieutenant- Colonel Arnaud Beltrame "swapped himself to save hostage"..The officer "left his telephone on the table", to allow police that had surrounded the building in the sleepy town of 5,000 inhabitants listen in https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/03/23/france-gunman-holding-hostages-supermarket-claims-allegiance/

 

RESIST!

Edited March 23, 20188 yr by Opl

3 hours ago, Opl said:

So...

A low life Maroccan drug dealer, 26,  stormed a  supermarket taking hostages, killed 3 persons and wounded 16 others in the name of radical Islamism, in France. 

A  French military officer, 45, was wounded after he voluntered to go into the supermarket so that the hostage could be freed,

Civilization gap.    

 

 

Yes, the Lieutenant Colonel was very brave  - a real hero.

 

Unfortunately it has long been claimed by Western security officials these attacks by Jihadist Salafism, as was the murderer, will continue, hopefully not at the same tempo as the last few years.

Islamist gunman attacks French supermarket, kills three

By Johanna Decorse

 

Police officers and investigators at a supermarket after a hostage situation in Trebes, France, March 23, 2018. REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier

 

TREBES, France (Reuters) - A gunman killed three people in southwestern France on Friday as he held up a car, fired on police and seized hostages in a supermarket, screaming "Allahu Akbar" before security forces stormed the building and killed him, authorities said.

 

Sixteen other people were wounded, including two who were seriously hurt, in what President Emmanuel Macron called an act of "Islamist terrorism".

 

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack. Macron said security services were checking that claim.

 

"I want to tell the nation tonight of my absolute determination in leading this fight," said Macron, who returned to Paris from Brussels to chair a crisis meeting with ministers and security officials.

 

More than 240 people have been killed in France in attacks since 2015 by assailants who pledged allegiance to Islamic State or were inspired by the group.

 

Friday's attacker was identified by authorities as Redouane Lakdim, 25, from the city of Carcassonne.

 

Two people were killed when he attacked the supermarket in the nearby small town of Trebes.

 

Witnesses said about 20 people in the supermarket found refuge in its cold storage room.

 

A lieutenant-colonel of the gendarmes who swapped himself in exchange for one of the hostages was fighting for his life in hospital, Macron said.

 

Moroccan-born Lakdim was known to authorities for petty crimes, but had been under surveillance by security services in 2016-2017 for links to the radical Salafist movement, said Paris prosecutor Francois Molins, who is leading the investigation.

 

"The monitoring ... did not reveal any apparent signs that could lead (us) to foresee he would act," Molins said.

He said one woman connected to Lakdim had been arrested.

 

Interior Minister Gerard Collomb told reporters at the scene that he believed Lakdim had acted alone.

"Every day we detect facts and foil new attacks. Alas, this one struck without us being able to counter it," Collomb said.

 

Lakdim first killed one person with a bullet in the head while stealing a car in Carcassonne, a walled city with a medieval citadel that is one of France's top tourist attractions.

 

He pulled up in the car to four police officers who were jogging in the city and opened fire, hitting one in the shoulder, then sped off to Trebes, about 8 km (5 miles) to the east, where he took the hostages in the supermarket.

 

"The perpetrator entered the store shouting 'Allahu Akbar' and indicated that he was an Islamic State soldier who was ready to die for Syria, seeking the release of brothers, before shooting at a client and a store employee who died on the spot," Molins said.

 

Police were carrying out searches at Lakdim's family home.

 

ESCAPE

 

One supermarket worker said some shoppers had escaped from the building after the gunman burst in.

 

"I was in my department when I heard gunshots. I went to the area of the gunshots and came face to face with the person," said the employee, who gave his name only as Francois.

 

"He raised his gun and fired, I ran away, he shouted 'Allahu Akbar' and spoke about the Islamic State. I then evacuated the clients, about 20, who were in my area and we went quietly out of the back," said Francois, who has been employed at the supermarket since November.

 

Collomb said the gunman had demanded the release of Salah Abdeslam - the prime surviving suspect in Islamic State suicide bombing and mass shooting attacks on a sports stadium, concert hall and restaurants that killed 130 people in Paris in 2015.

 

Abdeslam, a French citizen born and raised in Brussels, went on trial in Belgium last month. He is accused of "attempted murder in a terrorist context" over a Brussels shootout in March 2016, four months after he fled Paris on the night of the carnage during which his brother was among the suicide bombers.

 

"THE THREAT IS EVERYWHERE"

 

France is part of a U.S.-led coalition fighting against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq and also has thousands of soldiers in West Africa fighting al Qaeda-linked militants.

 

In February, Collomb said French security forces had foiled two planned attacks so far this year as Islamic State militants set their sights on domestic targets in response to the group's military setbacks in Iraq and Syria.

 

"This is a small, quiet town. Unfortunately the threat is everywhere," Collomb told reporters in Trebes.

 

Carcassonne, a UNESCO heritage site, lies in the Languedoc region, known for its wine and picturesque countryside but also one of the poorest areas in France, with unemployment about 3 percentage points above the national average.

 

Nearby Beziers is one of the biggest cities controlled by the far-right, while the smaller town of Lunel further east became a breeding ground for many French jihadists who travelled to Syria to fight.

 

Almost six years ago to the day, Islamist gunman Mohammed Merah killed seven people in the Toulouse region, about 90 km from Carcassonne. He was killed by security forces after a more than 30-hour stand-off.

 

The last lethal Islamist attack in France was in October 2017 when a Tunisian-born man stabbed two young women to death in Marseille before he was shot dead by soldiers. Islamic State also claimed responsibility for that attack.

 

For other stories on the attack, click on:

 

French gendarme fighting for his life after trading places with hostage

 

France supermarket attacker pledged to "die for Syria"

 

French supermarket hostages dodge attacker, hide in cold store

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-03-24

 

 

This sad silly season seems to start with the spring equinox in Europe. 

police forces world wide, just find them , blow them away no fuss, no publicity, so what about the *foiled* attempts, what happened to them, ? once an islamic soldier always an islamic soldier.

14 hours ago, Grouse said:

The Muslims can't have it both ways

 

I was chastised earlier for suggesting that profiling SHOULD be used in selecting staff for security roles at our ports

 

And now AGAIN we have one of these awful people committing an atrocity even after being on the radar

 

I take this opportunity to again state that at KLIA1 I once interceded to INSIST that a whole "family" of Muslims remove their Alladin Pantomime head gear so they could be identified. Mind you, I am a Yorkshireman and travelling upfront. I know not what had most influence! No more pussyfooting around.

There are a lot of awful farang blokes out there too doing horrendous stuff not related to religion..YOU cannot blame all Muzzy folk for their bad blokes...

Latest is that a French policeman offered himself as hostage for release of others and when that was done he was shot by the gunman.

He was rushed to hospital but unfortunately has died.

The gunman has now been shot and killed as well.

15 hours ago, vogie said:

It won't be long before the muslim appologists tell us what a wonderful religion islam is.

Too busy on another thread  attacking Israel.   

25 minutes ago, overherebc said:

Latest is that a French policeman offered himself as hostage for release of others and when that was done he was shot by the gunman.

He was rushed to hospital but unfortunately has died.

The gunman has now been shot and killed as well.

If true, that was a brave man worthy of state honours.

40 minutes ago, transam said:

There are a lot of awful farang blokes out there too doing horrendous stuff not related to religion..YOU cannot blame all Muzzy folk for their bad blokes...

No one cannot, but my experience has been that such people are neither religious nor wish to be associated with holy rollers.

I wonder which religion called ISLAM inspired this one

35 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

No one cannot, but my experience has been that such people are neither religious nor wish to be associated with holy rollers.

 

1 hour ago, transam said:

There are a lot of awful farang blokes out there too doing horrendous stuff not related to religion..YOU cannot blame all Muzzy folk for their bad blokes...

As all Islamic murderers are Muslims, u sort of can blame Muslims, and i am an ex Muslim. Sick people follow and love sick things.

1 hour ago, geriatrickid said:

No one cannot, but my experience has been that such people are neither religious nor wish to be associated with holy rollers.

Agree entirely with ordinary moslems having no "wish to be associated with holy rollers".

 

Was this terrorist a 'refugee''' - or a 'home grown' terrorist?

Edited March 24, 20188 yr by dick dasterdly

1 hour ago, geriatrickid said:

If true, that was a brave man worthy of state honours.

Watching B-c news live.

He was a senior policeman.

Just now, overherebc said:

Watching B-c news live.

He was a senior policeman.

Depressingly, even more suprising....

Sadly he died.

9 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Sadly he died.

depressingly sad news

7 minutes ago, Grouse said:

depressingly sad news

How many more Islamic atrocities before we take draconian action?

6 hours ago, transam said:

There are a lot of awful farang blokes out there too doing horrendous stuff not related to religion..YOU cannot blame all Muzzy folk for their bad blokes...

The next time a terrorist shouts "Jesus is great"  or "Jehovah is great"  or "Guru Nanak is great"  before he kills people I might agree with you.  But when they shout "Allah is great" they are specifically tying their religion into the atrocity.  The 'moderate' Muslims seem incapable of reining in the killers , and they have been given enough time, so they can't blame us if we defend ourselves.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/arnaud-beltrame-dead-police-hero-trebes-isis-hostage-france-terror-siege-attack-a8271781.html

 

May I suggest that Muslim interlocutors keep their heads below the parapet while we ponder this extremely brave man's sacrifice? I am desperately saddened by this. Better go to bed. ?

There are some vile people in this world. They are not all Muslim.
 

Unfortunatly they are the only ones killing us with terrorist acts. So they are the enemy

Sent from my SM-A720F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

2 hours ago, lungbing said:

The next time a terrorist shouts "Jesus is great"  or "Jehovah is great"  or "Guru Nanak is great"  before he kills people I might agree with you.  But when they shout "Allah is great" they are specifically tying their religion into the atrocity.  The 'moderate' Muslims seem incapable of reining in the killers , and they have been given enough time, so they can't blame us if we defend ourselves.

Missed all the news on Burma then?

Any and all religions have done it before Centurion was a rank and not a tank.

Religion will always be behind all acts like the one in France. In history always has been always will be. Nowadays it's just done with different weapons.

What's the cure? I have no idea.

Well in my mind I do but it's probably just as bad.

Why do people who seem on the face of it appear to be intelligent disprove that fact by telling everyone their sky floating god thing is better than everyone elses.

Ever seen a film/movie called the gods must be crazy?