2nd LD Writethru: Hero French gendarme who took place of supermarket hostage dies of injuries

PARIS, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The French gendarme who swapped himself for a female hostage during an attack on a supermarket in Trebes, southern France, on Friday, has died of his injuries, Interior Minister Gerard Collomb tweeted Saturday.

The gendarme, Arnaud Beltrame, offered himself up unarmed to the attacker in exchange for the woman who was taken as a human shield, and managed to leave his phone on a table with an open line so that police could hear what was going on inside the supermarket.

Police stormed into the supermarket and killed the gunman once they heard gunshots inside.

The gendarme, who once served in Iraq, was seriously injured in Friday's attack and succumbed to his injuries in hospital where he was rushed once the siege ended.

"Dead for his country. France will never forget his heroism, bravery and sacrifice," Collomb said in the Twitter message.

In a statement Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron said: "In offering himself as a hostage to the terrorist holed up in the Trebes supermarket, Lieutenant Colonel Beltrame saved the life of a civilian hostage, showing exceptional self-sacrifice and courage."

"He fell as a hero, giving up his life to halt the murderous outfit of a jihadist terrorist," the president added.

The gunman, identified as 25-year-old Redouane Lakdim, began his rampage by hijacking a car on Friday morning in the southern French town of Carcassone. He shot one passenger dead and injured the driver. The body of the victim was later found hidden in a bush.

Lakdim then opened fire on police officers jogging in Carcassone, injuring one person. Following that, he drove a few kilometers to Trebes and headed into a Super-U supermarket around 10 a.m. local time (0900 GMT).

He stormed the supermarket, shouting "Allahu Akbar" --God is great -- and telling the 50-odd people inside that he was "a soldier of the Islamic State" seeking "to liberate brothers."

The Moroccan-origin gunman was known to police for robbery and drug trafficking but had no sign of radicalization, and acted alone, according to Collomb.

It was France's first major terror attack since October 2017, when the government enacted an anti-terrorism bill incorporating emergency security rules into ordinary law. It allows police more power to search and arrest suspects without a judge's approval, and restrict people's movements and gatherings.

While the Islamic State has claimed responsibility for Friday's attack, the claim is being checked by French security services, Macron said after chairing a crisis meeting with ministers and security officials Friday.

"I want to tell the nation tonight of my absolute determination in leading this fight," Macron said.

"I urge our fellow French citizens to remain aware of the terrorist threat, but also to remember the force and resistance our people have demonstrated each and every time they were attacked," he added. Enditem