Le havre hostage-taker on watchlist, believed to have Islamist ties - police

The Le Havre hostage-taker is believed to have Islamist ties, two senior police union officials in direct contact with officers involved in the operation said. One of the two officials said the 34-year-old suspect was known to police and on a security agency watchlist. "We've identified him.

The Le Havre hostage-taker is believed to have Islamist ties, two senior police union officials in direct contact with officers involved in the operation said. One of the two officials said the 34-year-old suspect was known to police and on a security agency watchlist.

"We've identified him. He's on a watchlist. We know that he has been radicalized and suffers a serious psychiatric illness," Yves Lefebvre, head of SGP Unite police union told Reuters.