Armed attacks in the towns of Loon-Plage and Wormhout, near Dunkerque in northern France, have left five people dead. Two of those killed were reported to be immigrants and two were security guards. Four of the murders occurred in the town of Loon-Plage and one in the town of Wormhout.
Salome Bahri, head of the aid organization Utopia 56, which helps migrants, said that gunshots were heard in a migrant camp in Loon-Plage at 16:15 local time. Bahri said that when she realized the situation, she instructed her team to leave the camp and that the association’s employees were quickly evacuated from the area.
A large number of police, fire, and medical teams were dispatched to the scene. It was learned that there were also people injured in the attack in the camp area and that medical teams were providing first aid to the injured.
A 22-year-old suspect believed to be the perpetrator of the attack in the town of Loon-Plage, surrendered to the gendarmerie after the incident. It was reported that three weapons were found in the suspect’s car during a search.
Police said they are investigating the suspect’s motivation for the attack and have launched a full-scale investigation to clarify whether the incident was an anti-immigrant act or a personal score to settle.
The area where the attack took place is known for its camps where migrants seeking to cross into the UK are often gathered. The camp in Loon-Plage is home to migrants, mostly from Middle Eastern and African countries. Aid organizations have called on authorities to increase security in the camps, drawing attention to the increasing threats to migrants in the region.
Bahri, an official from Utopia 56, said the incident created deep fear among migrants, adding, “Such incidents pose a great danger not only to migrants but also to aid teams working in the region.”
The French Interior Ministry announced that security forces in the region have launched a large-scale operation to clarify the details of the attack. The gendarmerie said that evidence obtained from the scene could shed light on the cause of the attack.
Four people – two security guards and two migrants – were fatally shot near the camp in Loon-Plage, a stretch of coastline near Dunkirk, unnamed security sources told outlets in France. The gunman is alleged to have also confessed to an earlier shooting in the nearby town of Wormhout, according to BBC.
