In a suspected vendetta in the drug milieu, three people have been shot dead in Marseille. According to the police and fire brigade of the southern French port city, unknown persons opened fire on another car from a car with Kalashnikovs early Sunday morning. Three of the five occupants were killed, two others were able to escape.
The attackers were also able to escape, according to police. Near the scene, firefighters were called to a burning vehicle shortly after. It was initially unclear whether this was the getaway car. The criminal investigation department began an investigation. According to investigators, the 25-year-old victims lived in a notorious social housing estate in Marseille and were known to the police.
Last year, 28 people were shot dead in the port city on the Mediterranean, almost all of them against the backdrop of drug trafficking. Especially in the socially deprived areas in the north of the city, rival gangs regularly engage in violent clashes.
According to the authorities, however, the number of bloody settlements between them has been increasing significantly for some time. This year alone, according to a count by the AFP news agency, 21 mostly young men have already been killed in connection with turf wars.