French soldier shoots 16 at military drill

Paris, June 30, IRNA A military demonstration drill in southern France on Sunday left 16 people wounded, including children, when real bullets were used instead of blanks.

Four of the wounded were in serious condition, including a 3-year-old child,
said Chief Bernard Lemaire, of the regional administration in Aude, on
France-3 television. Fifteen of the wounded were civilians.
A Defense Ministry official said the shooting occurred during a
demonstration of hostage-freeing techniques at a military barracks located
in the city of Carcassonne.

The official said investigators would look into why real bullets were used.
The soldier who fired the shots was detained, Lemaire said.
He said that the shooting was most likely an accident but that it could have
been a "criminal act."
end