Two prison officers killed, 3 injured in an ambush at toll plaza as prisoner escapes

CCTV footage showing a gunman firing at a prison van at a toll plaza. - REUTERS photo

PARIS: Two prison officers were killed in an ambush on a prison van carrying an accused near Rouen in Normandy, France, on Tuesday.

At the time of the incident, Mohamed Amra, better known as 'The Fly', was being taken from court to prison when a car crashed into the van at the toll plaza at around 11am local time.

Several armed men then opened fire on the prison guards, killing two and seriously injuring two others.

Hundreds of police personnel have been deployed to track down the suspect and the accused.

French President Emmanuel Macron in a recent post on the X social media platform said "everything is being done to trace all those involved".

The public prosecutor confirmed the accused who managed to escape as Mohamed Amra, who was born in 1994.

Amra was charged with burglary on May 10 and was also found guilty of being involved in a kidnapping case in Marseille that resulted in death.

The 30-year-old accused is said to be linked to a gang in Marseille.