French Interior Chief dispatches 200 police to unrest-hit Lyon

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin on Saturday said he deployed a 200-strong police unit to the trouble-rocked city of Lyon in central-eastern France to ensure that order is maintained in the area.

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmn on Saturday said he deployed a 200-strong police unit to the trouble-rocked city of Lyon in central-eastern France to ensure that order is maintained in the area.

"Faced with the unacceptable violence that the Lyon area has experienced in recent hours, I have decided to send a third mobile force unit. In all, there are more than 200 police officers and gendarmes as reinforcements [sent] this afternoon to uphold the Republican order," Darmn tweeted.

The unrest in Lyon broke on Thursday evening, a day after a 13-year-old teen sustained major injuries in a scooter crash on the city streets. An investigation was opened to determine the cause of the accident, as some witnesses claim that the crash occurred due to a police car that was chasing the scooter, an accusation the local police department denies.

Clashes with police and urban violence then followed, rocking Lyon's Duchere district, and led to 12 arrests and subsequent inquiry probing three people.

The violence continued through Friday evening in Rillieux-la-Pape, a town not far from Lyon, featuring arson and looting. It occurred in response to an anti-drug police operation earlier this week and resulted in 6 arrests. (/Sputnik)

( With inputs from ANI )