Two French Prison Officers Killed In Ambush

Two French prison officers have been killed in an ambush on a prison van near Rouen in Normandy.

Reports in French media suggest an inmate who was being transported in the van has escaped together with the attackers.

France’s Justice Minister, Eric Dupond-Moretti, said three other officers were severely injured.

He also said he was convening the Justice Ministry’s crisis unit.

French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X that “everything is being done to find the perpetrators”, while Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said that “several hundred police officers and gendarmes” had been mobilised.

French outlet BFMTV reported that the inmate was being transported back to the jail in the town of Évreux after attending a court hearing this morning in Rouen.

The ambush took place around 11:00 (09:00 GMT) near a toll booth on the A154 motorway, which is now closed in both directions.