PARIS, Nov 28: French President Nicolas Sarkozy vowed on Wednesday that rioters who shot at police during a flare-up of Paris suburban violence would be severely punished, as security was stepped up to contain the unrest.

Back from a state visit to China, Sarkozy chaired a special cabinet meeting on the disturbances, France’s worst troubles since nationwide riots in restive suburbs in 2005, after visiting a wounded police chief in hospital.

“Opening fire at officials is completely unacceptable,” Sarkozy warned.

“This has a name: attempted murder,” he said, promising that “those who take it into their hands to shoot at officials will find themselves in court.” For two nights this week, youths hurled petrol bombs and bricks at police, torching cars and buildings. The use of shotguns against police dramatically upped the stakes in the face-off.At least 130 police officers have been injured, several by lead shot, since violence broke out Sunday in the north Paris suburb of Villiers le Bel, touched off when two teenagers were killed in a motorbike collision with a police car.

Prosecutors on Wednesday launched a fast-track investigation for attempted homicide in a bid to trace the owners of one of the guns fired at officers on Monday night.

Prime Minister Francois Fillon, who spent Tuesday evening in Villiers, told parliament those responsible would be “tracked down, arrested and brought to justice”.

“When you fire a shotgun at security forces from 15 metres away, you are not just a rioter. You are someone committing attempted homicide,” he said.

Some 1,000 riot police, backed by SWAT teams and surveillance helicopters, clamped down on Tuesday night on Villiers where they largely managed to prevent a third night of riots. Stepped-up security measures were to remain in place on Wednesday night, officials said, despite complaints from residents at the cordoning-off of their neighbourhood.

Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie told Europe 1 radio the police clampdown would be “maintained as long as necessary”, suggesting local gang leaders were orchestrating the violence.

Despite the police lockdown, several dozen cars and several buildings were still torched on Tuesday night, mainly in towns around Villiers, according to the regional prefect.—AFP