'Gang related' hooded gunmen open fire on police in Marseille

Hooded gunmen have fired on police in the French city of Marseille where the Prime Minister Manuel Valls had been due to visit. The shooting may be gang-related, according to reports. Gunfire was heard in the Castellane area of the city on Monday. Witnesses said a gang of around 10 armed men fired Kalashnikovs into the air. About 40 police officers are reported to be positioned on a roundabout. Elite security forces have been sent to the scene. French journalist Stefan De Vries told Sky News: ”There is a very high murder rate but almost all the murders are gang-related. Very few victims are civilians.”

Castellane is in a state of siege - this is my worst nightmare.

Local politician Samia Ghali

France has been on high alert in the wake of recent terror attacks. The shooting comes as a senior French official said the country was stepping up its efforts to combat extremism. In response to the threat posed by returning jihadists, Elisabeth Guigou, president of the French National Assembly’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, said France is ramping up security. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, she said the measures included reinforcing border inspection and setting up hotlines.

We estimate that about 1,300 French people or residents in France have been concerned by going back and forth to Syria or to Iraq, so that’s quite a lot of people to keep an eye on.

Elisabeth Guigou, president of the French National Assembly’s Committee on Foreign Affairs

Europe Marseilles