In the southern city of Marseille, France, unrest continued for a fifth consecutive night with intense clashes between protesters and police.

The latest reports indicate that 719 individuals were arrested during the overnight confrontations, marking a decline from the previous night's count of over a thousand arrests.

Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin acknowledged a relative improvement in the situation compared to previous nights, offering praise to the 45,000 police officers deployed to maintain order.

However, amid the demonstrations, a concerning incident unfolded in a southern suburb of Paris, where protesters reportedly targeted the local mayor's residence.

The attackers rammed the building and allegedly fired rockets towards the mayor's wife and small children, according to accounts provided by the police.

The protests initially erupted in response to the fatal shooting of Nahel, a 17-year-old boy of Algerian descent, by the police in the Parisian suburb of Nanterre on Tuesday.

The incident has triggered widespread outrage and has become a focal point for ongoing demonstrations across the country. (ILKHA)