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Roundup: Hollande pledges "every effort" to find Thalys shooting motive

Xinhua, August 22, 2015 Adjust font size:

French President Francois Hollande on Friday said "everything" would be done to determine the motive of the shooting at Thalys high -speed train and identify the assailant who shot and wounded three men.

"Every effort is being made to shed light on this tragedy and have all the necessary information about what happened," Hollande said in a statement issued by his office.

Three people were injured, including two in serious situation, the Elysee added without giving details on their identities. However, local media reports said the injured include one American and a British citizen.

French actor Jean-Hugues Anglade was also injured in the shooting at a Thalys train between Amsterdam and Paris and which occurred 30 minutes after its departure from Brussels on its way to Paris.

The statement added the gunman, not identified yet, was arrested in Arras station in northern France.

He was neutralized by two American passengers before being handed over to police and placed in custody.

"Without their courage we would have surely faced a terrible tragedy," said Bernard Cazeneuve, the interior minister, adding "the greatest care and the greatest precision will be used" in the inquiry launched by a counter-terrorism prosecutor.

Pierre-Henry Brandet, the ministry's spokesman told the news channel BFMTV that it's still too early to call it a terrorist attack.

"We have no information neither of the assailant's identity nor of his motivation. For sure, it is a dramatic event and police units and rescue teams are deployed on site," he said.

According to local media reports, the suspect is believed to be a 26-year-old Moroccan, who is known to intelligence services.

In a separate statement, French presidency said Hollande and Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel vowed to step up security cooperation and consolidate efforts to facilitate the investigation into the shooting.

France has been on high alert after January attacks in Paris that killed 17 people. Endit