'ISIS' Attacker Killed After Bloody Hostage Situation at a Supermarket
At least three people are dead and at least a dozen more injured after a gunman who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State held people hostage in a southern France supermarket, The Sun reported.
According to reports, Redouane Lakdim, 26, hijacked a car Friday morning, killing one passenger and injuring the driver. He then attacked police officers who were jogging near the city of Carcassonne. He fired six shots at the officers while screaming “Vengeance for Syria!”
“The police were not in uniform but were wearing athletic clothes with police insignia. One police officer was shot in the shoulder, but the injury was not serious,” ABC News reported.
The attacker went from there to Trebes, and entered the local Super U shop. “I am a soldier of Daesh (Islamic State)!” he screamed when he entered the store, BBC reported. He proceeded to shoot and kill the shop’s butcher.
ISIS claims responsibility for attack in Trebes, France. pic.twitter.com/PmX5fnPcle
— Josh Caplan (@joshdcaplan) March 23, 2018
Another witness said Lakdim yelled, “Allahu Akbar (God is greatest), I’ll kill you all,” according to The Sun.
Hundreds of police officers surrounded the area after Lakdim took an unknown number of people inside the shop as hostages.
According to authorities, he demanded the release of Islamic State Paris attacker Salah Abdeslam.
🆘‼👮♂️🔥 Terrorist attack in #France: the #ISIS attacker in the #Trèbes supermarket, who has already killed 2 people and 12 injured, demands the release of the another scum and #Paris attacker Salah Abdeslam. pic.twitter.com/fxZYTvV5po
— Onlinemagazin Ⓥ (@OnlineMagazin) March 23, 2018
Witnesses at the scene report that police brought the hostage taker’s mother to the supermarket to persuade him to stop, The Sun reported.
“She’s gone to talk to him – to try and get him to drop his weapons, and give up,” the witness said. “His sister is there too.”
After an hours-long standoff, officers stormed the building and killed the gunman.
“Interior Minister Gerard Collomb confirmed that the attacker had been shot dead and three other people were killed,” BBC reported.
According to BBC, the Moroccan suspect was known to French authorities.
“He was known for petty crimes. We had monitored him and thought there was no radicalisation,” said Interior Minister Gérard Collomb.
French President Emmanuel Macron has confirmed that all evidence suggests this was a terror attack.
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