Hostage-taking incident kills 3, perpetrator shot dead: French minister

PARIS, March 22 (Xinhua) -- The perpetrator of the hostage-taking incident at a supermarket in Trebes, southern France, was shot dead in the police raid, French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb confirmed.

"The hostage-taker has been killed," the minister said.

Anti-terrorism units raided the supermarket where the 26-year-old man, Redouane Lakdim, who claimed he's a Islamic State (IS) soldier, held several hostages early on Friday.

Lakdim screamed "Allahu Akbar" (God Greatest) while he stormed the building. He killed two persons and wounded an officer in the hostage-taking which began at around 11 a.m. local time (1000 GMT).

According to the minister, the gunman had shot another people dead and injured one when he was stealing the vehicle.

He also opened fire at a police officer in Carcasson, about 20 minutes' drive away from Trebes city.

Lakdim, with Morrocan origin, had acted alone, the minister said.

He was known to police for robbery and drug trafficking, but had no sign of radicalization, Collomb added.

He has reportedly asked for the release of Salah Abdeslam, the only surviving suspect in the Paris attacks that claimed 130 victims in November 2015.

Earlier in the day, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe described the hostage-taking incident as a "terrorist act."

The French anti-terrorism division of the Paris prosecutors has opened an investigation into the attack. Enditem