'Al-Qaida' gunman takes hostages in Toulouse bank:
Man is reported to have fired shot while holding up to four people in French city
A man claiming to be a member of al-Qaida has taken several hostages in a bank in the south-western French city of Toulouse, a police union source said on Wednesday.
The man took several hostages in a branch of French bank CIC and fired a shot after an attempted armed robbery apparently went wrong, UNSA police union official Cedric Delage told Reuters.
An anti-terrorist police unit was on its way to the scene and the area around the bank was sealed off. No injuries have been reported so far.
In March, an al-Qaida-inspired gunman shot dead three soldiers, a rabbi and three Jewish children in Toulouse. The man, Mohamed Merah, was later shot dead by police after a standoff at his home in the city.
The French interior ministry was not immediately available to comment.
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Man is reported to have fired shot while holding up to four people in French city
A man claiming to be a member of al-Qaida has taken several hostages in a bank in the south-western French city of Toulouse, a police union source said on Wednesday.
The man took several hostages in a branch of French bank CIC and fired a shot after an attempted armed robbery apparently went wrong, UNSA police union official Cedric Delage told Reuters.
An anti-terrorist police unit was on its way to the scene and the area around the bank was sealed off. No injuries have been reported so far.
In March, an al-Qaida-inspired gunman shot dead three soldiers, a rabbi and three Jewish children in Toulouse. The man, Mohamed Merah, was later shot dead by police after a standoff at his home in the city.
The French interior ministry was not immediately available to comment.
guardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
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