French Officials: Strasbourg Attack Suspect Killed after Gun Battle with Police

A big police operation was launched in the Neudorf/Meinau area of the city on Thursday, leading to the death of the suspected attacker. Chekatt was killed some two kilometers away from the Tuesday attack site, press tv reported.

He had evaded arrest for 48 hours.

According to Interior Minister Christophe Castaner, the suspect fired on police officers after they identified him and moved to arrest him. The police returned fire and killed Chekatt.

Local sources reported hearing three to four shots after armed police units launched a helicopter-backed operation at the site.

Earlier that day, masked police officers had launched operations in three different locations in Strasbourg, including an area where Chekatt had last been seen. The site of his death was not far-off from there.

Overall, more than 700 officers had taken part in the 48-hour manhunt.

Police on both sides of the Europe bridge, which links France to Germany across the Rhine river, had manned controls in search of the alleged shooter, creating heavy traffic.

The Tuesday attack, which raised France's security threat assessment to its highest level, caused much panic in the French city with officials urging residents to stay indoors.

The European Parliament, which is about a 20 minute walk away from the city center, was put under lockdown before being evacuated by French authorities.

The attack also posed a threat to political envoys present in the vicinity.

The 29-year-old suspect had been previously marked as a potential threat on a state security watchlist. French authorities claim the man had turned to religious extremism while spending time behind bars.

Chekatt had previously been incarcerated in French, German and Swiss jails for theft and violence.

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