Attack on French embassy in Tanzania kills three policemen and a contractor.

 

    

Attack on French embassy in Tanzania kills three policemen and a contractor.

Police and security guards returned fire, killing the assailant, investigations are underway.

Three policemen and a contractor have been killed in an attack on the French embassy in the Tanzanian capital, Dar es Salaam, while police and security guards returned fire, killing the attacker. According to media reports, a gunman tried to enter the French embassy but failed to enter the embassy. The contractor was killed and six others were injured.

The injured were taken to a hospital, where two were in critical condition, Tanzanian Inspector General of Police Simon Cerro told reporters. The process of identifying who was killed is underway. The bomber struck shortly after noon as Tanzanian President Samia Hassan was addressing security officials at a ceremony in the country's main commercial city of Dar es Salaam.

"It is premature to say that this is terrorism as we are still investigating the motives. Residents should remain calm as we are investigating the matter," the police chief said. He shot dead two police officers with a pistol and then walked several meters to the French embassy to pick up rifles from the slain officers before another officer and a security guard could be killed. He himself will be killed by the police.

Eyewitnesses say the man opened fire randomly before seizing a guard house in front of the embassy, ​​where he was shot dead by a police sniper but before he could injure six others. . Police are looking for a motive, but it has been suggested that the attack may be related to Tanzania's role in neighboring Mozambique, earlier this month, Tanzania said as part of a regional security force. Tanzanian President Samia Salouha Hassan has sent troops to Mozambique to help fight Islamist rebels, offering condolences to the families of those killed in the attack.

Opposition party Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT) has called for a full investigation into the shooting. One of the more implicit security implications.