Trèbes terror attack: Investigation launched into gunman Redouane Lakdim after three killed in hostage siege - as it happened
Officials name 26-year-old who shot at police and held shoppers at gunpoint
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A terror attacker has been shot dead by police after he took hostages and fired at officers in the south of France.
Police raided the Super U shop in Trèbes early this afternoon and killed Redouane Lakdim, 26, who is said to have killed three people near Toulouse and claimed affiliation with Isis.
Officials believe he hijacked a car in Carcassonne at around 10am and killed one of the passengers.
He is then thought to have fired on a group of policemen who were jogging, wounding one in the shoulder, before driving to a supermarket three miles from Carcassonne and holding around 50 customers hostage.
He killed two of them and injured 16 more before police stormed the shop and shot him dead.
Interior minister Gérard Collomb said Lakdim then shot at a group of police officers before hiding inside the supermarket, where two more people were killed.
Please allow a moment for the live blog to load.
You can read our full report on the latest from the developing situation here.
Here's the latest from the AP:
French authorities say a police operation is taking place in a small town in southern France after a police officer was shot and wounded.
A suspect has been surrounded at a supermarket in the town of Trebes, south of Toulouse, and might have taken hostages, national police said.
The French Interior Ministry said on its Twitter account Friday that police and rescue operations are the priority.
Authorities in the Aude region are warning people to avoid the area around the supermarket.
A man holding hostages in a supermarket in southwestern France has claimed allegiance to Islamic State, BFM TV said.
There's some confusion about the connection to Isis. Initial reports had said that Isis had claimed responsibility for the attack – but that is wrong, and hasn't yet happened. In fact, the new reports suggest only that the man holding hostages has given his allegiance to the group.
The French interior minister has posted on Twitter that he is taking part in emergency conferences with security forces.
He will go immeidately to the scene, he writes.
French prosecutors are treating the hostage situation as a terror incident, according to local reports.
A team of France's elite GIGN forces, its equivalent of SWAT teams, are on their way to Trebes from Toulouse, according to the local l'Independant.
Two people have been killed in the attack. That includes the butcher in the supermarket, the mayor has said.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments