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Paris police open fire at car smashing Tour de France barrier

French police officers stand guard near the Place de la Concorde in Paris as people begin to gather ahead of the final stage of the Tour de France cycling race on July 26, 2015. ©AFP

A vehicle has smashed into a security barrier near the finishing line of cycling’s famed Tour de France in central Paris, prompting French police officers to open fire at the car.

Following the Sunday incident which occurred at the Place de Concorde at the end point of the prominent Champs Elysees district around 8:00 am local time (0600 GMT), the authorities were still looking for the driver of the vehicle, AFP reported citing an unidentified police source.

The development comes as the world-famous marathon cycling competition is due to conclude later in the day.

French police forces shot at the vehicle in a bid to halt its movement after it sped away from a police checkpoint nearby, where officers were redirecting traffic away from roads that were shut down for the end of the grand cycling event.

No one was struck by the car and police authorities emphasized that there was no exchange of gunfire during the incident.

French authorities have heightened security measures in Paris in past months following the ISIL-linked terrorist attacks in January, which left 17 people dead.


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