French President Emmanuel Macron called the killing of three people in southern France on Friday and act of "Islamist terrorism", but said security services were still checking whether the Islamic State group was really behind the attack as it claims. Eric Menassi, the mayor of Trebes, told BFM TV that the hostage-taker was now alone with one police officer in the supermarket and all other hostages were free. The station reported that the hostage-taker has claimed allegiance to Islamic State and that he has demanded the release of Salah Abdeslam - the prime surviving suspect in the Islamic State attacks that killed 130 people in Paris in 2015. More than 240 people have been killed in France in attacks since 2015 by assailants who pledged allegiance to, or were inspired by, Islamic State. Police in helmets and body armour took up positions around the Super-U supermarket.The Paris prosecutor's office said counter-terrorism prosecutors were investigating the incident but did not comment on the possible Islamic State allegiance.

Source: dna March 23, 2018 18:22 UTC