Developing story: How Gunmen Breached French Security
By Elem Kash
Members of the Armed gang which rescued Mohammed Amra set fire to the car which intercepted the convoy before escaping.
A group of deadly gunmen have successfully ambushed a prison convoy in France and snatched a dangerous suspect wanted by the law for allegedly committing serious crimes, including drugs trafficking, who earlier appeared in Normandy court.
Two security guards were killed when the gang opened fire while others sustained gunshot injuries after a vehicle deliberately rammed into the convoy.
The whereabouts of the runaway Arab, Mohamed Amra, who was being conveyed to jail when the incident occurred is not yet known, but a massive manhunt has been mounted by the French authorities.
In the past 30 years, French prison staff have not faced such a deadly strike. But Tuesday, at a tollgate, the unimaginable happened. The convoy taking Amra back to prison came under heavy attack.
“The Fly” as Amra is also known got into a gate-away car and disappeared into thin air accompanying by members of the deadly squad detailed to rescue him.
French Interior Minister, Gerald Darmanin remarked on Wednesday, “All means are being used to find these criminals.”
Darmanin who spoke with French journalists described the awful attack as an act of “cold-blooded barbarity”.
Reports say at least 450 gendarmes and police officers have been quickly mobilised from the Eure department in Normandy in an “unprecedented” search.
President Emmanuel Macron told his fellow countrymen that everything is being done to find the perpetrators and bring them to book.
According to the British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC, unions which oversee the interest of prison officials have called for walkouts at various institutions across the country in support of the two guards who died.
It further reports that hundreds of staff working in French prisons and other detention centres have been been staging work-to-rule protests.
Issuing a joint statement, the country’s unions demanded urgent measures to improve staff safety.
This include the “drastic reduction of extraditions” of prisoners to court hearings, by promoting video-conferencing, and an “overhaul” to escort levels.
French Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti has said he would meet with union representatives.