Two dead in France supermarket shooting, attacker claimed allegiance to IS: Report

An unidentified man fired shots and took several hostages at a supermarket in south France on Friday before being gunned down by security personnel.

Paris: At least two people have died and several were injured after a man fired shots and took hostages at a supermarket in southwest France on Friday. The gunman was eventually shot dead after he engaged with security personnel in a gun fight.

The unidentified man held hostages in the supermarket and claimed allegiance to the Islamic State, BFM TV quoted French authorities as saying. The Europe 1 radio also confirmed that an individual was holding hostages in the supermarket. 

#BREAKING At least two dead in French supermarket hostage-taking: security source — AFP news agency (@AFP) March 23, 2018

According to AFP, a policeman was shot at in the town of Carcassonne while the gunman fired shots and took several people hostage in the morning hours at a supermarket in the town of Trebes. The man "entered the Super U supermarket at around 11.15 am and fired shots," a source said of the Trebes incident. 

The local authorities tweeted that the area was out-of-bounds to the public. 

French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe has said that initial reports suggest it is a terrorist act.