MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th August, 2020) An armed man who took hostages in the northern French city of Le Havre on Thursday is on the police security watchlist and is believed to have ties to radical Islamist organizations, Reuters reported, citing two senior high-ranking police officials.
According to police officials who are in contact with law enforcement officers involved in the operation, the 34-years-old hostage-taker has been identified.
"We've identified him. He's on a watchlist. We know that he has been radicalized and suffers a serious psychiatric illness," Yves Lefebvre, the head of SGP Unite police union, said, as quoted by Reuters.
The man has so far reportedly released three hostages but was still holding another three people. A special police force is deployed to the scene.
