A gunman is believed to have killed at least one person during a hostage-taking at a supermarket in Trèbes, southern France.

Elite police have rushed to the Super U shop, and there are unconfirmed reports of another death.

A prosecutor says the gunman, who remains in the supermarket, claims to be in the Islamic State group.

Earlier, a policeman was shot and wounded while jogging with colleagues in Carcassonne, a 15-minute drive away, He was not critically injured. It is unclear if the incidents are connected though media reports suggest they are

Trèbes Mayor Eric Menassi told BFM TV that the gunman was now alone in the shop with one police officer, after other hostages were freed.

A security source told French news agency AFP that most employees and customers at the supermarket “managed to flee”.

Prime Minister Édouard Philippe said the situation was “serious” and that all signs pointed towards a “terrorist act”. The regional police chief said authorities believed one person had been killed at the supermarket. Other sources put the death toll at two.

Hundreds of police officers have been deployed to the area, and the vicinity has been cordoned off.

France has been hit with several deadly jihadist attacks since 2015 and has been on high alert since. A state of emergency put in place after attacks in Paris in November 2015 that killed 130 people was lifted in October.