Members of the French special forces conduct searches for the gunman

A large-scale manhunt has been launched in France for a suspected extremist gunman who shot at a Christmas market in Strasbourg, killing two people and injuring at least 12.

Authorities have launched a terror investigation, with Interior Minister Christophe Castaner saying 350 officers are hunting for the man, who was already known to the country’s intelligence services as a potential security risk.

The French government raised its security alert system Vigipirate to its highest level, “Emergency Attack”, triggering stricter border controls and reinforced security at all Christmas markets to avoid the risk of copycat attacks.