Strasbourg gunman still at large
A SHOOTING at a Christmas market in the French city of Strasbourg has left two people dead and a third brain dead, prosecutors said yesterday, with witnesses saying the gunman shouted “Allahu akbar” (God is greatest) as he opened fire.
Police were searching for a Strasbourg-born man identified as Cherif Chekat, 29, and had arrested four people close to him in connection with the attack, prosecutor Remi Heitz said.
Twelve people were injured, with six in critical condition, he said.
French prosecutors are treating Tuesday night’s attack as an act of terrorism. The suspect was on a state security watchlist.
He also had a criminal record, having served prison sentences in Germany, Switzerland and France.
The attacker opened fire at 7.50pm. An army anti-terrorism patrol shot at him but he escaped in a taxi. The taxi driver later confirmed that the attacker was injured.
The man then exchanged fire with security forces twice more.
Around 350 personnel, including police special forces and troops, backed up by two helicopters, were searching for him, the minister said.
The Strasbourg Christmas market, one of the best-known in France, takes place in the centre of the city, which is near the German border.
Germany’s Interior Ministry said it had ramped up border controls at the German-French border.
The French government had raised its alert level to “attack alert”, said Interior Minister Christophe Castaner.
There would also be reinforced checks “at all the Christmas markets taking place in France to prevent copycat attacks”, he added.
The minister announced that local authorities in Strasbourg would ban demonstrations in order to free security forces for the hunt for the suspect in the shootings. |