Man killed in French anti-terror operation
A man has been shot dead in the north-eastern French city of Strasbourg while being arrested in connection with an anti-terrorist operation.
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The prosecutor of Strasbourg, Patrick Poirret, said in a statement that the man was killed during an exchange of bullets at his apartment with anti-terrorism officers early on Saturday morning.
The apartment, in the suburb of Esplanade, is behind the campus of the University of Strasbourg, two kilometres from the city centre.
Three police officers protected by helmets and bullet-proof vests were slightly injured.
The operation is part of an investigation into an incident on September 19, when a small explosive was hurled into a Kosher grocery store in Sarcelles, in the Paris suburbs.
Police say anti-terrorism officers carried out simultaneous operations in the east of France, the Paris region and the Côte d’Azur.
A statement from President François Hollande's office says seven people were arrested in the simultaneous raids.
A man arrested in the Paris suburbs was said to be armed and "dangerous", while police detained another man in Cannes, in the country's southeast.
A police source told news agency AFP that police are targeting a suspected Salafist network.
Neighbours of the deceased man in Strasbourg say he has been living in the apartment for four to six months with a woman and two children, including a baby.
They say the man had a beard and the woman wore a burqa.
Police have arrested the woman.
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