Clashes erupt in Paris after gunman kills three in attack near Kurdish cultural centre

A man, who was charged last year with attacking migrants, shot and killed three people at a Kurdish cultural centre in Paris Friday in an assault that appeared to be specifically aimed at foreigners, French authorities said. In this picture, members of Kurdish community stand next to a barricade on fire as they clash with police officers at the crime scene where the shooting took place. (AP Photo)

The shooting, which also wounded three people, shook the Kurdish community in the French capital and sparked skirmishes between angry Kurds and police. (Reuters)

It also rattled merchants in the bustling neighbourhood in central Paris on the eve of Christmas weekend and put officers on alert for more violence. In this picture, a member of Kurdish community kneels on the ground as he is detained during clashes with police officers near the crime scene. (AP Photo)

Authorities identified the suspect as a 69-year-old Paris man who had been jailed for attacking migrants living in tents and released earlier this month. Investigators were considering a possible racist motive for the shooting. In this picture, French scientific police work on Rue d'Enghien after gunshots were fired killing and injuring several people. (Reuters)

The attack occurred at midday at the cultural centre and a nearby restaurant and hair salon, according to the mayor of that part of the city, Alexandra Cordebard. In this picture, members of the Kurdish community David Andic, Agit Polat lawyer of the Kurdish Democratic Counsel in France and Berivan Firat (from left to right) attend a media conference near the crime scene. (AP Photo)

Skirmishes erupted in the neighbourhood a few hours later as members of the Kurdish community shouted slogans against the Turkish government, and police fired tear gas to disperse the increasingly agitated crowd. Some garbage bins were set on fire. (AP Photo)

Back in 2013, three women Kurdish activists, including Sakine Cansiz — a founder of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK — were found shot dead at a Kurdish centre in Paris and a Turkish citizen was charged with their killing. Here, protestors can be seen clash with French police during a demonstration near the Rue d'Enghien. (Reuters)

Turkey's army has been battling against Kurdish militants affiliated with the banned PKK, in southeast Turkey as well as in northern Iraq. (Reuters)

The PKK is considered a terrorist organisation in Turkey, Europe and the United States, and has led an armed insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984. (AP Photo)

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said the suspect was clearly targeting foreigners and had acted alone and was not affiliated with any extreme-right or other radical movements. (AP Photo)

French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted: “The Kurds of France were the target of an odious attack in the heart of Paris. Thoughts for the victims, those who are fighting to survive, to their families and loved ones.” (Reuters)