Automatic gunfire was heard on Monday in the French city of Marseille, triggering a large police response in a nation still reeling from deadly terror attacks. But the cause appears to be related to gangs, not terrorism, a police spokesperson told NBC News.
The incident, in a low-income housing project, drew elite officers from the national police and triggered a cordoning of the area, which included a neighborhood known for drug trafficking. There were no reported injuries, or arrests, buy police were conducting door-to-door searches Monday night.
Despite there being no apparent link to terror, the incident exposed the nerves that remain raw in France since the deadly terror attacks in Paris last month which left 20 people dead — including three gunmen. The government has stepped up security at key sites — including public places and houses of worship — and also launched a new initiative to combat radicalization and jihadism. Earlier this month, a man with a knife attacked soldiers patrolling outside of a Jewish center in the southern resort city of Nice.
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