Massive manhunt in France for prison-break gang that gunned down officers

Mohamed Amra, aka ‘The Fly’ was being transported between prisons when the attack occurred

A massive manhunt unfolded in France on Wednesday as authorities searched for an armed gang responsible for ambushing a prison convoy. The attack resulted in the deaths of two prison officers and left three others seriously injured. The inmate they were escorting, Mohamed Amra, was successfully sprung from custody during the incident.

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin described the efforts to capture the fugitives as "unprecedented," with hundreds of officers mobilized for the search. The violent nature of the ambush, which involved ramming a car into the prison van before opening fire, sent shockwaves throughout France. Prison workers held moments of silence to honor the fallen officers.

Amran was being transported between two prisons when the attack took place

Speaking on RTL radio, Darmanin expressed optimism about capturing Amra "in the coming days." He mentioned that 450 officers were actively deployed in Normandy, where the attack occurred, to track down the assailants and gather leads.

The prison van was rammed by two cars before the attackers opened fire on the guards in Paris

The attack appeared to have been meticulously planned. The convoy was transporting Amra back to jail in Évreux, Normandy, following a hearing in Rouen when it was targeted on the A154 freeway. The assailants utilized stolen vehicles, including one that rammed the prison van and another that followed closely behind, creating a blockade. They then opened fire, allowing Amra and themselves to flee.

The 4X4 can be clearly seen ramming into the prison van before the convict escaped

Among the officers killed was a 52-year-old captain with nearly three decades of service and a 34-year-old officer who was about to become a father. Amra, aged 30, has a lengthy criminal history with numerous convictions for robbery and other offenses dating back to his teenage years.