The French police have shot dead a man who was suspected of beheading a 13-year-old man in southern France.

Local police found a body that was beheaded in an apartment in Tarascon. After investigation, it was found out that the apartment was by a 32-year-old man who reportedly suffered from a psychiatric disorder.

The matter came to notice after a boy was reported missing from a care home in Marseille, a French city. Police started investigating the missing person case, which led them to this rented apartment.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/reimposition-of-covid-curfews-cannot-be-ruled-out-in-france-minister-399073">Reimposition of Covid curfews cannot be ruled out in France: Minister</a>

"The body found may be that of the minor," local public prosecutor Laurent Gumbau told news agency AFP. Police have not been able to confirm the identity and the prosecutor clarified that as of now it would be "impossible at the current time to confirm the hypothesis of anthropophagy (cannibalism)".

When the police reached the location, the man who has been booked for few previous acts of violence fled his apartment over rooftops. The chase ended three hours later when the police located him at a location in Tarascon and he was shot dead.

However, as per initial reports, the deceased suspect was not armed at the time of his death, and he has also not been identified as the killer of the 13-year-old minor man.

An investigation into both the killings has been launched.

The French police have shot dead a man who was suspected of beheading a 13-year-old man in southern France. Local police found a body that was beheaded in an apartment in Tarascon.

The French police have shot dead a man who was suspected of beheading a 13-year-old man in southern France. Local police found a body that was beheaded in an apartment in Tarascon. After investigation, it was found out that the apartment was by a 32-year-old man who reportedly suffered from a psychiatric disorder. The matter came to notice after a boy was reported missing from a care home in Marseille, a French city. Police started investigating the missing person case, which led them to this rented apartment. Also read | Reimposition of Covid curfews cannot be ruled out in France: Minister "The body found may be that of the minor," local public prosecutor Laurent Gumbau told news agency AFP. Police have not been able to confirm the identity and the prosecutor clarified that as of now it would be "impossible at the current time to confirm the hypothesis of anthropophagy (cannibalism)". When the police reached the location, the man who has been booked for few previous acts of violence fled his apartment over rooftops. The chase ended three hours later when the police located him at a location in Tarascon and he was shot dead. However, as per initial reports, the deceased suspect was not armed at the time of his death, and he has also not been identified as the killer of the 13-year-old minor man. An investigation into both the killings has been launched.

France: Police shoots dead man with psychiatric disorder suspected of beheading minor

A terror probe has been launched after a man attacked and killed a female police officer on Friday with a knife at a police station in a Paris suburb. Her attacker was shot and killed by officers on the scene.

France: Officer stabbed in police station

France's lower house of parliament is opening debate Tuesday on a security bill that would permit the imprisonment of people who publish images of police officers with the intent to cause them harm.

Critics, including France's human rights ombudsman, said the measure would hurt press freedoms.

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Offenders would face up to one year in prison and a 45,000-euro ($53,000) fine under the proposed law championed by lawmakers of President Emmanuel Macron's party, which has a majority at the National Assembly.

The bill's most controversial measure would make it a new criminal offense to disseminate, by whatever means and on whatever media, with the intent of causing physical or psychological harm, an image of the face, or any other element that could identify a police officer."

The measure's backers include Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin. Speaking last week, he said it is needed because officers ''are constantly threatened in their personal life&nbsp;after being identified and because there are calls for female officers to be raped.''

He downplayed any impact for journalists, saying ''they'll obviously still be able to film any police intervention."

But France's human rights ombudsman, Claire Hedon, said the bill involves ''significant risks of undermining fundamental rights,''&nbsp;including press freedom.

''The publication of images relating to police interventions are legitimate and necessary for democratic functioning," she said.

Journalists' unions and rights campaigners called for protests Tuesday in front of the National Assembly.

Critics are warning that the bill will result in ''massive''&nbsp;self-censorship and argue that images posted online help expose police blunders and brutality.

They say the measure would endanger journalists and citizen-journalists, especially during violent demonstrations. They also worry about how courts will determine whether images were posted with intent to harm.

The National Assembly is scheduled to vote next week on the bill, which will then go to the Senate.&nbsp;

France's lower house of parliament is opening debate Tuesday on a security bill that would permit the imprisonment of people who publish images of police officers with the intent to cause them harm.

France's lower house of parliament is opening debate Tuesday on a security bill that would permit the imprisonment of people who publish images of police officers with the intent to cause them harm. Critics, including France's human rights ombudsman, said the measure would hurt press freedoms. Offenders would face up to one year in prison and a 45,000-euro ($53,000) fine under the proposed law championed by lawmakers of President Emmanuel Macron's party, which has a majority at the National Assembly. The bill's most controversial measure would make it a new criminal offense to disseminate, by whatever means and on whatever media, with the intent of causing physical or psychological harm, an image of the face, or any other element that could identify a police officer." The measure's backers include Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin. Speaking last week, he said it is needed because officers ''are constantly threatened in their personal life after being identified and because there are calls for female officers to be raped.'' He downplayed any impact for journalists, saying ''they'll obviously still be able to film any police intervention." But France's human rights ombudsman, Claire Hedon, said the bill involves ''significant risks of undermining fundamental rights,'' including press freedom. ''The publication of images relating to police interventions are legitimate and necessary for democratic functioning," she said. Journalists' unions and rights campaigners called for protests Tuesday in front of the National Assembly. Critics are warning that the bill will result in ''massive'' self-censorship and argue that images posted online help expose police blunders and brutality. They say the measure would endanger journalists and citizen-journalists, especially during violent demonstrations. They also worry about how courts will determine whether images were posted with intent to harm. The National Assembly is scheduled to vote next week on the bill, which will then go to the Senate.

France mulls ban on police images, alarming rights defenders

French police shot and injured a man who had attacked an officer with a hammer outside Paris&#39;s Notre-Dame cathedral on Tuesday, prompting an anti-terror investigation.

Police sources said the officer sustained only minor injuries in the assault, which comes with France on high alert for jihadist strikes after a weekend attack in London.

The attacker, who is in the hospital, told the probe team that he was an Islamic State &quot;soldier of caliphate&quot;.

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French police shot and injured a man who had attacked an officer with a hammer outside Paris&#39;s Notre-Dame Cathedral on Tuesday (WION)
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One of the officer&#39;s colleagues opened fire, the source added.

The attacker, whose motives were unclear, lay injured on the ground as police sealed off the area.

A witness told AFP he heard someone &quot;shout very loudly&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;Then there was a crowd surge and people panicked. I heard two shots and saw a man lying on the ground in a pool of blood,&quot; he said.

A minister said&nbsp;that the attacker shouted &quot;this is for Syria!&quot;

Pictures on social media from inside the cathedral showed people sitting down with their hands in the air apparently at the request of police.

But Paris police said the situation is now &quot;under control&quot;, adding&nbsp;hundreds of people who were kept inside the famous cathedral would be progressively let out after routine checks, while the injured man was taken to hospital with chest injuries, according to a police source.&nbsp;

The incident comes three days after extremists used a van and knives to crush to death and kill seven people enjoying a night out in London, one of them French.

Authorities in Paris asked the public to stay away from Notre-Dame, one of France&#39;s biggest tourist attractions, which is situated on the banks of the Seine river in the heart of the capital.

France is under a state of emergency and on its highest possible level of alert following a string of terror attacks that began in 2015, which have killed over 230 people.

In recent weeks the focus has shifted to Britain, where a suicide bomber killed 22 people including seven children at a pop concert in the northwestern city of Manchester two weeks before the London attack.

The last fatal attack in France dates to April 20, when a policeman was shot dead on Paris&#39;s prestigious Champs-Elysees avenue, three days before the first round of the presidential election.

Previous major attacks targeted the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine in January 2015 and in November that year, gunmen and suicide bombers attacked venues around Paris including the Bataclan concert hall, killing 130 people.

Then in July last year, a radicalised Tunisian man drove a lorry at high speed through a Bastille Day fireworks display on the Nice waterfront, massacring 86 people.

Since then there have been a series of smaller attacks, often targeting the security forces.

In September, Notre-Dame was already the scene of a scare after a car full of gas canisters was found parked nearby.

Anti-terror judges charged a radicalised woman over the failed attack.

(AFP)

People in the vicinity scrambled for cover during the incident which comes close on the heels of the extremist attack in London

French police shot and injured a man who had attacked an officer with a hammer outside Paris's Notre-Dame cathedral on Tuesday, prompting an anti-terror investigation. Police sources said the officer sustained only minor injuries in the assault, which comes with France on high alert for jihadist strikes after a weekend attack in London. The attacker, who is in the hospital, told the probe team that he was an Islamic State "soldier of caliphate". French police shot and injured a man who had attacked an officer with a hammer outside Paris's Notre-Dame Cathedral on Tuesday (WION) × One of the officer's colleagues opened fire, the source added. The attacker, whose motives were unclear, lay injured on the ground as police sealed off the area. A witness told AFP he heard someone "shout very loudly". "Then there was a crowd surge and people panicked. I heard two shots and saw a man lying on the ground in a pool of blood," he said. A minister said that the attacker shouted "this is for Syria!" Pictures on social media from inside the cathedral showed people sitting down with their hands in the air apparently at the request of police. But Paris police said the situation is now "under control", adding hundreds of people who were kept inside the famous cathedral would be progressively let out after routine checks, while the injured man was taken to hospital with chest injuries, according to a police source. The incident comes three days after extremists used a van and knives to crush to death and kill seven people enjoying a night out in London, one of them French. Authorities in Paris asked the public to stay away from Notre-Dame, one of France's biggest tourist attractions, which is situated on the banks of the Seine river in the heart of the capital. France is under a state of emergency and on its highest possible level of alert following a string of terror attacks that began in 2015, which have killed over 230 people. In recent weeks the focus has shifted to Britain, where a suicide bomber killed 22 people including seven children at a pop concert in the northwestern city of Manchester two weeks before the London attack. The last fatal attack in France dates to April 20, when a policeman was shot dead on Paris's prestigious Champs-Elysees avenue, three days before the first round of the presidential election. Previous major attacks targeted the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine in January 2015 and in November that year, gunmen and suicide bombers attacked venues around Paris including the Bataclan concert hall, killing 130 people. Then in July last year, a radicalised Tunisian man drove a lorry at high speed through a Bastille Day fireworks display on the Nice waterfront, massacring 86 people. Since then there have been a series of smaller attacks, often targeting the security forces. In September, Notre-Dame was already the scene of a scare after a car full of gas canisters was found parked nearby. Anti-terror judges charged a radicalised woman over the failed attack. (AFP)

'IS soldier' shot at after attacking police outside Paris' Notre Dame