Three dead, inmate on the run following motorway attack on prison convoy
Three people have died after a prison convoy was rammed by a car on a motorway in northwestern France.
An inmate is believed to be on the run – identified only as Mohamed A at this stage. He also goes by the nickname The Fly, according to Le Parisien.
Footage apparently taken at the scene shows figures armed with assault rifles and several crashed vehicles.
Three other people were seriously injured in the prison break in Incarville, in the Eure region.
It is also claimed that Mohamed was known to the courts for attempted homicide, and he had in the last few days tried to saw the bars off his prison cell in a bid for freedom.
The prison van was rammed by two cars before the attackers opened fire on the guards in Paris
The suspect Mohamed A is known as ‘The Fly’ and is said to have escaped from prison following the attack
The gunmen opened fire and are said to have killed three prison officers with pump-action shotguns
The 4X4 can be clearly seen ramming into the prison van before the convict escaped
He is alleged to have fled with the people who attacked the convoy in two cars – an Audi A5 and a BMW 5 series.
It is believed they targeted the prison van near the tollbooth on the A154 at 11am today.
Officials have said more than 200 gendarmes have been mobilized, mainly from Eure, but also from neighbouring departments.
A helicopter and specialized units, including the GIGN, are providing reinforcement, it has been reported.
A local police souce said: ‘The ambush happened at the Incarville toll booth on the A154 road. Kalashnikovs are thought to be have been used.
‘Three prison officers are thought to be dead, and three others are seriously wounded.
‘A detainee known for cases linked to drug trafficking escaped with a gang made up of around four men.’
French President, Emmanuel Macron said: ‘This morning’s attack, which cost the lives of prison officers, is a shock to us all.
‘The Nation stands alongside the families, the injured and their colleagues.
‘Everything is being done to find the perpetrators of this crime so that justice can be done in the name of the French people.
‘We will be intractable.’
Tweeting before the death toll rose, French justice minister Eric Dupond-Moretti posted on X: ‘A prison convoy was attacked in Eure. Two of our prison officers have died, three are seriously injured.
‘All my thoughts are with the victims, their families and their colleagues.’