Four people has been killed and several others have been wounded after a gunman opened fire near a Christmas market in the French city of Strasbourg.
Police report the attacker is still at large.
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Eyewitnesses report the attacker fired upwards of a dozen shots around 8pm local time, forcing authorities to cordon off the city centre.
Mayor Roland Ries advised residents not to leave their homes as the police operation continues.
The Strasbourg seat of the European Parliament was also put into lockdown after the shooting. British representative Richard Corbett tweeted that he had been confined in a restaurant in the city centre due to the incident.
Am in restaurant in centre of #strasbourg where shots fired with unconfirmed reports of 3 dead.
Restaurant locked and not letting anyone in or out.— Richard Corbett CBE (@RichardGCorbett) December 11, 2018
Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said police have identified the assailant and that he is known to authorities.
Strasbourg’s public prosecutor states the incident appears to be an act of terrorism. An investigation is underway.
The attack comes nearly two years after Berlin‘s Christmas market was the site of a truck attack, which killed 12 people and left more injured.
