Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Banner Left
Banner Right

Military drill turns into bloodbath

Military drill turns into bloodbath

CARCASSONNE – By the time the frantic call of “cease fire” rang out, 17 people lay shot and wounded as a fun family day to watch a military drill turned into a bloodbath on Sunday.

“Suddenly, people were falling, we thought it was part of the exercise, and then we saw blood,” said one of the hundreds of visitors who watched as a French soldier fired live rounds instead of blanks at visitors attending a hostage-taking demonstration. Five children were among those injured at the drill near Carcassonne in southwestern France.”We were watching a hostage-taking exercise and it happened when there was only about five minutes to go.There were seven or eight soldiers with guns, with one of them in the middle of the public pretending to be a terrorist,” saida witness, who attended the event with his family.”We saw a child of about three years, really messed up, that really struck us.There were loads of children, because it was a party for children above all,” he said.”Everybody ran for the exits.It (the evacuation) was very well organised, the soldiers handled it very well,” he said.A senior army officer insisted that the incident was almost certainly the result of an “unintentional” error.Fifteen civilians were injured along with two soldiers.Military and civilian investigators have opened probes into the events at the Third Marine Parachute Regiment barracks.Defence Minister Herve Morin said that the shooter had first fired a magazine of blanks and then loaded a fresh magazine but this time with live bullets.He said an experienced soldier would not confuse blanks and real bullets, noting that the two munitions are packed into different-coloured magazines.The soldier, a sergeant described as experienced with no history of behavioural or psychological problems, was detained following the incident.Nampa-AFPFive children were among those injured at the drill near Carcassonne in southwestern France.”We were watching a hostage-taking exercise and it happened when there was only about five minutes to go.There were seven or eight soldiers with guns, with one of them in the middle of the public pretending to be a terrorist,” saida witness, who attended the event with his family.”We saw a child of about three years, really messed up, that really struck us.There were loads of children, because it was a party for children above all,” he said.”Everybody ran for the exits.It (the evacuation) was very well organised, the soldiers handled it very well,” he said.A senior army officer insisted that the incident was almost certainly the result of an “unintentional” error.Fifteen civilians were injured along with two soldiers.Military and civilian investigators have opened probes into the events at the Third Marine Parachute Regiment barracks.Defence Minister Herve Morin said that the shooter had first fired a magazine of blanks and then loaded a fresh magazine but this time with live bullets.He said an experienced soldier would not confuse blanks and real bullets, noting that the two munitions are packed into different-coloured magazines.The soldier, a sergeant described as experienced with no history of behavioural or psychological problems, was detained following the incident.Nampa-AFP

Stay informed with The Namibian – your source for credible journalism. Get in-depth reporting and opinions for only N$85 a month. Invest in journalism, invest in democracy –
Subscribe Now!

Latest News