300 gendarmes search for suspected gunman in south of France

PARIS: A large-scale operation was ongoing in the south of France on Thursday where some 300 gendarmes have been searching for a 29-year-old man who allegedly shot two men in a village. The security forces also used dogs and helicopters in the remote and wooded part of the Gard area, not far from the cities of Nimes and Avignon.

The gendarmerie, which is part of the armed forces but also performs police duties, issued a wanted notice on Thursday with a picture of the suspect. The man was said to be dangerous. The media spoke of a “manhunt in the Cevennes,” which is located on the south-eastern edge of the Massif Central highland region.