French police surround shooting suspect / France faces home-grown terror / French siege ends in gun battle

Author (Person)
Series Title
Series Details 21.3.12
Publication Date 21/03/2012
Content Type

French police hunting the killer of three children and a teacher shot dead at a Jewish school in the southern city of Toulouse on the 19 March 2012, and three French Muslim soldiers a week earlier, were negotiating with a suspected al-Qaeda sympathiser holed up in a house in the city on the 21 March 2012.

Features reflect upon the the emergence of home-grown Islamist terrorism on French soil. The killings shocked the country, prompting a bout of national soul-searching at the height of a bitter presidential election race.

On the 22 March 2012 Mohammed Merah was shot dead by a police sniper, bringing an end to the worst act of violent jihadism on French soil since the emergence of al-Qaeda as a global threat.

Related Links
ESO: Background information: Four shot dead at French Jewish school http://www.europeansources.info/record/four-shot-dead-at-french-jewish-school/
BBC News, 21.3.12: Raid on Toulouse shooting suspect http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17446999
The Local.fr, 21.3.12: French shootings: police surround house http://www.thelocal.fr/2900/20120321/
France24, 22.3.12: Toulouse gunman dies in hail of bullets during police raid http://www.france24.com/en/20120322-suspected-toulouse-gunman-killed-police-raid-jewish-school-paratroopers-soldiers-france
France24, 22.3.12: Toulouse shooter drama shakes up presidential race http://www.france24.com/en/20120322-toulouse-gunman-merah-changes-france-presidential-election-race-campaign-security
BBC News, 22.3.12: Toulouse gunman killed by sniper http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17473207
The Local.fr, 22.3.12: France suspect dead after resisting assault http://www.thelocal.fr/2923/20120322/
France24, 22.3.12: Suspected gunman remains in besieged Toulouse apartment http://www.france24.com/en/20120322-toulouse-gunman-remains-under-seige-merah-shooter-france-second-day
Le Monde, 21.3.12: Al-Qaeda remains a threat (via PressEurop) http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/article/1667001-al-qaeda-remains-threat
Spiegel Online International, 21.3.11: Authorities Helpless to Prevent Lone Wolf Attacks http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,822881,00.html
Spiegel Online International, 21.3.12: 'France Is United in Mourning' After Toulouse http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,822772,00.html
Deutsche Welle, 21.3.12: Is Islamist 'lone wolf' behind France attacks? http://www.dw.de/dw/article/0,,15825327,00.html

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