The gunman involved in a siege in an apartment building in Toulouse, southern France, is dead, following a raid by special forces, ITN reported.

Sustained gunfire could be heard as officers stormed the building, in an apparent attempt to end the 30-hour stand-off.

They entered through the front door and the windows, after specialist teams had removed the shutters, but they initially could not locate the suspect.

He apparently emerged from the bathroom, firing his weapon. According to the French Interior Minister, Claude Gueant, officers had never encountered anything like it. "They had no choice but to defend themselves," he said.

Assault rifle and lighter calibre gunfire rang out for a few minutes, and explosions were also heard.

He then jumped out of a window while continuing to fire his weapon, and was later found dead on the ground.

Two police officers were injured during the assault, one was hit in the foot, the other is in a state of shock.