French police launch appeal to find Strasbourg gunman
PARIS 13 Dec (ANA) - French police have appealed for help in finding a man suspected of a Christmas market gun attack in Strasbourg that killed two people, and left another brain dead and 12 others wounded.
Some 700 members of the security forces are searching for Chérif Chekatt, 29, on the Franco-German border.
The man shouted "Allahu Akbar" ("God is greatest") as he opened fire.
Chérif Chekatt had a string of criminal convictions and had been radicalised while in prison.
Police say anyone who sees the "dangerous" suspect should not approach him, but instead call an emergency hotline.
The government and police union also urged "gilets jaunes" (yellow-vest) protesters to call off demonstrations planned for Saturday to enable authorities to maintain security in the run-up to Christmas. A 23-year-old protester was struck by a lorry and killed at a roundabout in Avignon on Wednesday night.
The lights of Paris' Eiffel Tower were turned off overnight in tribute to the victims of the Strasbourg attack. The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, said the gesture was to show the city's support to the families affected and "all of Strasbourg".(ANA)
FA/ANA/13 December 2018-------