Marseille, France: A young man and two teenagers were killed overnight on Sunday in a shoot-out in the southern French city of Marseille, known for its violent drug wars, a police source said.

The victims, aged between 15 and 24, were shot dead in an exchange of automatic weapons fire in Lauriers, one of the city's most notorious estates. 

The group was standing around the foot of an apartment block when several individuals approached in two cars and opened fire, according to a judicial source.

Some 20 cartridges were found around the scene, and two burned-out cars were later discovered some 20 kilometres (12 miles) north of Marseille.

The 24-year-old was known to police, according to the judicial source. 

Lauriers was the scene of a massive anti-drug operation in May, when 300 police officers stormed the estate and arrested around 20 people.