Update: Police operation in French city after gun shots fired 'in air'

[MARSEILLE] A police operation was under way Monday in a housing estate in the French city of Marseille where residents said "Kalashnikov shots" were fired "in the air", sources close to the case said, adding there were no victims.

According to an AFP photographer on site, special forces entered the La Castellane estate, which is known for being a drug trafficking hotspot.

The outbreak of violence in the notorious estate, where a 25-year-old was shot dead last month in a settling of scores, comes as Prime Minister Manuel Valls is due to visit the southern port city later Monday.

Marseille has for years been plagued by rampant gang-related gun violence.

Police say many murders in the city are linked to turf wars between multiple rival gangs battling for control of the drugs trade in the city's poorest neighbourhoods.

AFP