The gunman who reportedly swore allegiance to ISIS and barricaded himself inside a supermarket in southern France, killing at least two people, reportedly demanded the release of Salah Abdeslam, one of the men behind the deadly 2015 Paris terror attacks.
Local media reports at least 12 others are injured in the incident that French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said "seems to be a terrorist act."
"This is a serious situation," he said.
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The French Prime Minister said the incident "seems to be a terrorist act."
The situation began to unfold around 11 a.m. local time on Friday when the gunman opened fired at a group of CRS police officers who were jogging near the city of Carcassonne. One of the officers was shot in the shoulder but the injury is non-life-threatening.
The gunman then took shelter inside the supermarket in Trebes and reportedly yelled “Allahu Akbar!” which roughly translates to “God is Great!” in Arabic.
The suspect also reportedly said "he is ready to die for Syria" and demanded Abdeslam be released from custody. Abdeslam is the lone surviving member of an ISIS terror cell behind the deadly 2015 attacks in Paris that killed 130 people at a theatre, the national stadium and cafes.
The reason for the shooting and hostage-taking is unclear, as is the identity of the attacker.
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The French Interior Ministry said police and rescue operations are the priority at the moment.
Mayor Eric Ménassi told BFM TV the gunman was alone inside the Super U supermarket in the city of Trebes and all other hostages have been released.
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.
French President Emmanuel Macron has asked Interior Minister Gerard Collomb to go to the site.
A White House official told Fox News that President Trump has been briefed on the incident.
France has been on high alert since a string of Islamic extremist attacks in 2015 and 2016 that killed more than 200 people.
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