Gunman, who allegedly claimed allegiance to the Islamic State group, has reportedly taken hostages in a supermarket in south west France.

According to the media reports, shots were heard outside the Super U supermarket. A police operation is currently underway.

The attacker is believed to have stormed into the supermarket at around 11.15am in the town of Trebes.

The man “entered the Super U supermarket at around 11.15 am and shots were heard,” a source said of the Trebes incident. Local authorities tweeted that the area was out-of-bounds to the public.

In a separate incident on Friday, a policeman was shot in the same area of southwest France.

The policeman was shot in the town of Carcassonne, while the gunman fired shots during a hostage-taking at a supermarket, just 15 minutes drive away.

It is not ascertained yet whether the two incidents were linked or not.

More details awaited

(With agency inputs)