In France, a manhunt is currently underway following a devastating attack on a prison van. During the attack, two prison officers lost their lives and three others sustained injuries. The incident occurred as the van was transporting a convict from a courthouse to a prison in the city of Rouen. The assailants, wielding “heavy weapons,” launched the assault, allowing the prisoner to escape amidst the chaos. French Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti shared this information with the press.
AFP, the French news agency, reported that the prisoner managed to escape after his vehicle was deliberately rammed by other vehicles at a highway toll.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin stated that every possible method is being employed to apprehend these criminals. He further added that he has personally instructed the mobilization of several hundred police officers and gendarmes in pursuit of this objective.
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his determination to bring the culprits of this crime to justice in a message shared on social media. He emphasized the importance of seeking justice on behalf of the French people.
Macron offered his support to the families, the injured, and their colleagues, stating that the nation stands with them.
French media has identified the prisoner as Mohamed Amra, a convicted burglar known by the nickname “The Fly” or La Mouche.
According to public prosecutor Laure Beccuau, the suspect is currently under investigation for an alleged kidnapping and a separate homicide case in Marseille, as reported by The Associated Press.
At the site of the ambush, photographs captured the sight of a forensic tent being erected around multiple vehicles, while a notable police presence could be seen.