Manhunt underway in France after the death of two police officers during the escape of a prisoner – POLITICO

French President Emmanuel Macron pledged that no effort would be spared to find those responsible for the attacks, describing them as “a shock for all of us”.

According to French media BFM TV, two police vehicles were attacked by several men armed with “heavy weapons”. In addition to those killed, two prison guards remain in critical condition.

The organized nature of the attack highlights the rise in drug trafficking in France in the run-up to next month’s European elections. Tuesday’s ambush came as the French Senate released a report saying the country was “overwhelmed” by drug crime.

“The intensification of drug trafficking” in the countryside and in the cities, the report warns, “can expose citizens to real scenes of war”.