Allahu Akbar ( Archived) (71)

Further to previous reports

The Strasbourg gunman yelled "Allahu Akbar" ("God is greatest" in Arabic) as he opened fire on people at a Christmas market, France's anti-terror prosecutor has told reporters.

Rémy Heitz said two people were killed and one left brain-dead in Tuesday's attack in the eastern French city.

Twelve were wounded, six seriously.

The main suspect, named by local media as Chérif Chekatt, is known to authorities as someone who was radicalised in prison.

The 29-year-old was armed with a gun and a knife and escaped the area in a taxi, Mr Heitz said.

The attacker boasted to the driver - who has spoken to police - that he had killed 10 people, and said he had been injured in a firefight with soldiers.

Four people connected to the suspect had been detained overnight in Strasbourg, Mr Heitz added. Sources close to the investigation quoted by Reuters news agency said they were the suspect's mother, father and two brothers.

Strasbourg shooting: What we know so far
Face to face with the gunman

Hundreds of officers are currently involved in the search for the gunman.

France's Deputy Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez earlier acknowledged he might no longer be in France. Strasbourg is close to the border with Germany.

Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said the country had moved to the highest level of alert, expanding police powers and increasing vigilance.

He added that border controls had been strengthened and security at all Christmas markets would be stepped up.

The mayor of Strasbourg, Roland Ries, has said the Christmas market will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday, with flags lowered to half-mast at the local town hall.
What happened?

The attack unfolded at around 20:00 local time (19:00 GMT) on Tuesday close to Strasbourg's famed Christmas market near one of the central squares, Place Kléber, which attracts thousands of visitors at this time of year.

A woman called Audrey told France's BFM TV how she came face to face with the killer after watching him shoot a man in the head.
Image copyright Getty Images
Image caption The new alert level heightens powers of the police

The gunman then opened fire for a second time, and another man fell to ground.

Her friends began to run to safety, but Audrey was frozen to the spot. The gunman turned, and faced her - but then he too ran.

"Why didn't he shoot at me?" she told the TV channel. "I don't know. I think I was extremely lucky. As everyone was screaming he fled."

According to Mr Heitz, as he fled he came into contact with four soldiers. He began firing at them and they fired back, apparently hitting him in the arm.

He managed to reach a taxi which drove him away from the scene and dropped him in the vicinity of the police station in Neudorf, the area where he lives which sits on the border between Germany and France.

When he got out the vehicle, he fired at police officers.
What do we know about the gunman?

According to police - who refer to him as Chérif C - the gunman was born in Strasbourg and was already known to the security services as a possible Islamist terrorist threat.

He was the subject of a "fiche S", a watchlist of people who represent a potential threat to national security.
Image copyright Getty Images
Image caption Armed police secure the area after the deadly shooting incident on Tuesday

He has 27 convictions for crimes including robbery spanning France, Germany and Switzerland, and has spent considerable time in prison as a result.

Police were seeking him on Tuesday morning in connection with another case, but did not find him at home.

Mr Nuñez said his crimes had never before been terrorism-related. But, he added, it was during one period in prison that he was indentified as having become radicalised.

"The fact he was a 'fiche S' did no

Political language.. is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.

George Orwell

A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves

Benjamin Franklin

Any society that will give up a little liberty, to gain a little security, will deserve neither, and lose both

Benjamin Franklin

All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for the people of good conscience to remain silent

Benjamin Franklin

Rebellion against tyrants is an obedience to God

Benjamin Franklin

A good conscience is a continual Christmas

Benjamin Franklin

Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech.

Benjamin Franklin

Correct, if it's a muslim, then it';s an incident.
They say this so we won't take the weapons in our own hands.
I say: How many incidents do we need to have a serious problem, and what are the governments gonna do about it.

Yes, muslims don't eat pig's meat, they don't want to be cannibals, for they are filthy pigs themselves already.