Attack suspect killed in gun battle
STRASBOURG/PARIS: The suspected gunman who killed three people at a Christmas market in the French city of Strasbourg was shot dead early yesterday in a brief gun battle with police after being on the run for 48 hours, police sources said last night.
Cherif Chekatt (29) was killed in the Neudorf/Meinau area of the city shortly after a big police operation was launched early yesterday about 2km from where he launched his attack on Tuesday.
Chekatt was killed after firing on police officers, who returned fire, one of the sources said.
Interior Minister Christophe
Castaner later said three police officers came across a man they believed to be Chekatt and went to arrest him.
He turned to fire on them and they shot and killed him, Castaner said.
‘‘I think it will help to get back to a life that I would describe as normal,’’ Strasbourg Mayor Roland Ries said after news Chekatt had been killed.
‘‘With the death of this terrorist . . . citizens, like me, are relieved,’’ he said
Reporters near the scene heard three to four gunshots after armed police officers and units launched their operation, backed up by a helicopter circling overhead.
The death toll from the attack rose to three while police early yesterday combed the city in the east of France for a second day and manned checkpoints on the German border in their search for Chekatt.
Three others were fighting for their lives in intensive care, Castaner said before news broke that Chekatt had been shot dead.
Police issued a wanted poster in multiple languages for Chekatt, who was the main suspect in the attack and who had been on a watchlist as a potential security threat.
He had spent time in French, German and Swiss jails for theft and violence and authorities say he was known to have developed radical religious views while behind bars.
Islamic State claimed him as one of its soldiers yesterday. — Reuters