Supervisor Elham AbolFateh
Editor in Chief Mohamed Wadie

France: 3 Killed, 8 Injured in Shooting in Marseille


Mon 03 Apr 2023 | 09:33 PM
Israa Farhan

At least three people were killed and eight others injured in three separate shootings in the crime-plagued French city of Marseille from Sunday night to Monday, according to police.

This has heightened fears that tit-for-tat violence between rival drug gangs in the southern port city is spiraling out of control after a series of deadly shootings over the past month.

The three young men, all in their twenties, died of gunshot wounds. The first incident occurred in the densely populated residential area of Castillas in the northern part of the city.

The second shooting took place a few kilometers away, while the third person died in the La Joliet district, north of the historic city center.

The Marseille prosecutor's office said that last year, 32 people were shot dead in gang violence in France's second-largest city, a record high.

AFP news agency estimates that 13 people, including the most recent victims, have died so far this year.

Marseille is a popular tourist destination known for its wonderful Mediterranean atmosphere. However, the working-class neighborhoods in the northern parts of the city suffer from poverty, unemployment, and drugs.

In 2021, President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a €1.5 billion plan to help the city tackle crime and deprivation.

During a three-day visit to the city, he described drug networks as "parasites" and said smugglers would be "harassed" by the authorities.