Gunman behind hostage-taking and killing in France shot dead by police according to reports

Police officers responded to a hostage situation at a Super U supermarket in southern France on Friday.Reuters

• The attacker who took hostages in Trèbes, southern France, on Friday has been shot dead.
• French media said that police shot the attacker, who has since died.
• He shouted "Allahu Akbar" and opened fired at the Super U branch.
• At least one victim was killed, with reports of more.

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A gunman who took hostages and killed at least one person in southern France been shot dead, according to French media.

The AFP news agency and Reuters said that the man had been killed by police in the town of Trèbes, where he had taken hostages at a Super U supermarket on Friday.

Gérard Collomb, France's interior minister, confirmed that the attacker had been shot.

Le preneur d’otages a été abattu.
Je m’exprimerai dans quelques instants depuis #Trèbes.

— Gérard Collomb (@gerardcollomb) March 23, 2018

At least one victim of the hostage situation was earlier confirmed dead by the mayor of Trèbes, the town where the hostage situation took place. French media outlets have reported more deaths.

Eric Ménassi, the Trèbes mayor, gave an update to the media on the attack shortly before the attacker was shot. He said that the man, reportedly a Moroccan citizen, shouted "Allahu Akbar" (Arabic for "God is great") before opening fire in the supermarket.

According to French media reports, the attacker shouted his allegiance to ISIS during the attack. French authorities declared the event a terrorist attack.

The attacker reportedly demanded the release of Salah Abdeslam, the sole living suspect in the 2015 Paris attacks, as part of a negotiation with authorities.

The supermarket where a man took hostages on Friday.Google Maps

Google Maps/Business Insider

The local news outlet La Vie à Trèbes posted this video of the police response while the attack was still taking place:

It is unclear whether the attacker had any direct ties to ISIS, the terrorist group also known as the Islamic State. Attackers often dedicate their action to the group despite having had no direct contact.

French media reported that the attack had also struck earlier in the day in the nearby town of Carcassonne.

The French TV station BFMTV reported that the same man opened fire on a group of policemen before heading to Trèbes, and hit one in the shoulder.

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