Indonesian Nationals in Paris Asked to Stay Vigilant

Police secure the Champs Elysees Avenue after one policeman was killed and another wounded.

Jakarta, 25 Rajab 1438/22 April 2017 (MINA) – The government, through the Indonesian Embassy in Paris, has asked Indonesian nationals in the French capital to be more alert after the shooting incident in the city.

“All Indonesian nationals in Paris must remain vigilant because a terror attack can happen anywhere. The Indonesian embassy also told Indonesian citizens in Paris to temporarily avoid the scene, according to orders given by the local authorities,” Antara quoted Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir as saying here, Friday.

The Indonesian Embassy in Paris has confirmed that no Indonesian citizens were involved or been victimized in the attack that killed one police officer and injured two others, he declared.

“According to information we received from our embassy in Paris, there are no Indonesian victims until now,” Nasir said.

The Government of Indonesia has condemned the shooting at the Champs Elysees shopping street in central Paris, France, which occurred Thursday evening.

Nasir revealed that the Embassy of Indonesia in Paris has issued an advice for all Indonesian citizens living in Paris and its surrounding areas to temporarily avoid visiting Champs Elysess and to follow the order of the local government.

The shooting, in which the assailant was also killed, took place on the Champs-Elysees shopping boulevard just days ahead of Frances presidential election.

A witness told Reuters that a man got out of a car at the scene and began shooting with a machine gun. A police source said more shots had been fired at another location near the scene.

The extremist group Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for the shooting. (T/RS5/RS1)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)