MARSEILLE: The French city of Marseille witnessed another devastating incident of gang violence on Sunday, as three men lost their lives in an assault rifle attack.
The port city of France has been plagued by a surge in drug-related gang murders over the past few months, raising concerns about public safety. Police authorities confirmed that the victims, part of a group of five men in their 20s, had just left a nightclub around 5:00 am when their car came under fire from unknown assailants armed with Kalashnikov rifles.
The attack took place in a residential neighborhood in Marseille, the second-largest city in France. While the two survivors managed to escape unharmed, the shooters also fled the scene. Law enforcement officers discovered a burnt-out car nearby, although they have yet to confirm if it was the getaway vehicle used by the gunmen.
Previous drug-related killings in Marseille have often involved the perpetrators setting their vehicles ablaze to eliminate any potential evidence.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the targeted individuals resided in a council estate known for its high incidence of drug trafficking. According to a source close to the investigation, these men were already familiar to the police. Regional prefect Frederique Camilleri, who arrived at the scene, expressed her condemnation of these “despicable crimes” and assured reporters that the entire police force had been mobilized to identify the perpetrators and dismantle the drug-trafficking networks responsible for the escalating violence.
Law enforcement authorities’ crackdown in Marseille
Over the weekend, law enforcement authorities apprehended five individuals for possession of firearms connected to the drug trade. Additionally, they seized three Kalashnikov assault rifles, a submachine gun, and a handgun. With this latest attack, the number of drug-related homicides in Marseille since the beginning of the year has reached 21, according to the AFP’s tally. Typically, the victims of these crimes are young men occupying lower positions within drug gangs and are targeted by rival factions.
Both Camilleri and Marseille’s chief prosecutor, Dominique Laurens, had previously issued warnings about the intensifying competition between rival organizations seeking control over the city’s lucrative drug-dealing territories, which has devolved into a “vendetta.” Last month, a night of violence resulted in three deaths, including that of a 16-year-old, and eight others injured. Laurens characterized the situation as a worsening “bloodbath” and predicted that it would persist in the coming months.
In response to the escalating violence, special police forces have been deployed to key drug hotspots in the city. Mayor Benoit Payan, who has been outspoken about the issue, declared earlier this month that “this war has been going on for too long” and urged the French government to take decisive action to quell the violence. Payan expressed his frustration, stating that the perpetrators no longer feel the need to conceal their actions.
As Marseille grapples with the mounting death toll and the increasing brazenness of gang violence, the community and law enforcement agencies anxiously await concrete measures to address the root causes and restore safety to the city’s streets.
