France: Al Jazeera receives Toulouse massacre video

Al-Jazeera in Paris has received a disturbing video footage of Toulouse massacre shot by the gunman himself, the French police said.

Reportedly, a computer memory stick containing a montage of horrifying clips accompanied with readings from the Koran was sent to the TV channel’s Paris office. The package has been posted on March 21, the day before Mohamed Merah (23) was killed by French police in his flat in Toulouse after a dramatic 32-hour siege.

During the siege the self-confessed 'Jihad warrior' told the police he was responsible for killing three unarmed French soldiers, three Jewish children and a teacher. The footage showing the seven killings is believed to have been taken by a camera slung around the Merah's neck. Some media reported the package with the video also contained a letter purporting to come from al-Qa'ida.

Reportedly, Al Jazeera has no plans to show the films but had probably retained copies.

"It's a video montage of the various killings set to music and readings from the Koran," the source told AFP, describing the footage as "sufficiently explicit".

Meanwhile, Merah’s father announced he is to sue French authorities over his son’s death, saying they could have chosen to capture him alive.

"France is a big country that had the means to take my son alive. They could have knocked him out with gas and taken him in," he was quoted saying by AFP. "They preferred to kill him.

"I will hire the biggest named lawyers and work for the rest of my life to pay their costs. I will sue France for having killing my son."

Merah’s older brother, Abdelkader Merah (29), has been charged with complicity in the murders and theft, and involvement in terrorism. So far he denies all the accusations as well as being proud of his brother.