Man shot dead outside Paris police station, too early to call terror act

An armed French policeman secures a street after a man was shot dead outside a police station in the 18th district in Paris, Jan 7, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

The incident took place at the first anniversary of the Jan 7 to 9 attacks, claimed by radical gunmen, which killed 17 victims including three policemen.

Minutes before the shooting, French President Francois Hollande delivered a New Year greetings message to police services to honor the policemen killed while fulfilling their duties.

He pledged to recruit 5,000 additional policemen and gendarmes by 2017 and better equip them with "necessary tools", as "the gravity of the threat requires raising our commitment to an even higher level".

"Terrorism has not stopped posing a threat to our country," he warned, defending the tough security measures he ordered in the wake of Nov 13 shootings and suicide bombings in the French capital.

A three-month state of emergency was declared in the country, empowering police to launch hundreds of raids.

Furthermore, the head of state urged a constitutional amendment to revoke citizenship of all dual nationals, including those who were born in France, with the aim to beef up security measures enough to tackle terrorism.