A massive manhunt was underway in France on Wednesday for armed assailants who ambushed a prison convoy, killing two prison officers, seriously injuring three others and springing the inmate they were escorting. The prime minister vowed the gang would be caught, saying, “They will pay.”
Quick Read
- Massive Manhunt in France: French authorities have launched a large-scale manhunt for the gang responsible for ambushing a prison convoy, resulting in the death of two prison officers and the escape of inmate Mohamed Amra.
- Prime Minister’s Vow: Prime Minister Gabriel Attal assured in parliament that the assailants would be captured and punished, emphasizing the government’s commitment to justice.
- Extensive Police Deployment: Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin reported that unprecedented efforts are underway, with 450 officers deployed in Normandy to track down the assailants and gather clues.
- Details of the Attack: The attack occurred as the prison van, transporting Amra back to jail after a court hearing, was ambushed on the A154 freeway. Assailants used stolen cars to block and attack the convoy, leading to a violent breakout.
- Public Reaction and Mourning: The shocking violence of the attack has led to moments of silence at prisons across France, as colleagues and the public mourn the slain officers.
- Ongoing Investigation: The investigation continues with the discovery of two burned cars believed to be used in the escape, as officials piece together the meticulously planned assault.
- Background of the Escaped Inmate: Mohamed Amra, the escaped convict, has a lengthy criminal history with at least 13 prior convictions, highlighting the severity of the threat he poses.
The Associated Press has the story:
Massive manhunt in France for prison-break gang that gunned down officers
Newslooks- PARIS (AP) —
A massive manhunt was underway in France on Wednesday for armed assailants who ambushed a prison convoy, killing two prison officers, seriously injuring three others and springing the inmate they were escorting. The prime minister vowed the gang would be caught, saying, “They will pay.”
“We are tracking you, we will find you and we will punish you,” Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said in parliament, to applause from lawmakers. “They will pay for what they have done.”
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said “unprecedented” efforts were being deployed. Hundreds of officers were mobilized in the search for the escaped convict, Mohamed Amra, and the assailants who laid in wait for the prison van transporting him, ramming a car into it before opening fire on Tuesday.
The violence of the attack shocked France. Prison workers held moments of silence Wednesday outside prisons in Paris and elsewhere to commemorate the officers who were killed.
Darmanin, speaking Wednesday on RTL radio, expressed hope that Amra could be caught “in the coming days.” Without giving full details about the extent of the manhunt, he said 450 officers had been deployed in the region of the attack in Normandy in northern France to search for the assailants and clues about their whereabouts.
“The means employed are considerable,” he said. “We are progressing a lot.”
The attack appeared to have been carefully prepared. The convoy was transporting Amra back to jail in the Normandy town of Évreux after a hearing with an investigator in Rouen when it was ambushed on the A154 freeway.
The prison van and another prison escort vehicle had just gone through a toll booth on the freeway when the van was rammed head-on by a car. The Paris prosecutor’s office said the car had been stolen and had gone through the toll booth a few minutes ahead of the prison convoy and then waited there.
Another car followed behind the convoy, seemingly boxing it in. Assailants sprang from the cars and opened fire, spraying the prison vehicles, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said.
The assailants and Amra then fled. Two burned cars were subsequently found which investigators are examining, Beccuau said.
One of the officers killed was a 52-year-old captain in the prison service, where he had worked for nearly 30 years, and a father of two, Beccuau said. The other officer killed, aged 34, was a married father-to-be, she said.
Amra, 30, has a long criminal record, with at least 13 convictions for robbery and other crimes, the first when he was just 15, she said.
