Top lawyer shot in ongoing Corsican gang war

France's Socialist government vowed Wednesday to restore order in Corsica after the slaying of a top lawyer highlighted a surge in violence linked to rivalries between criminal gangs.

Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault described the island's accelerating descent into lawlessness as "intolerable" and said the government had decided to issue new instructions to authorities there on tackling crime.

"The government is determined to act against the plague of organised crime in Corsica," Ayrault said.

Antoine Sollacaro, an advocate with links to Corsica's intertwined worlds of armed nationalism and mafia-style criminal clans, was killed in a professional "hit" on his way to work Tuesday.

It was the 15th murder of its kind this year on a Mediterranean island that is well known for its idyllic combination of spectacular mountains, pristine beaches and balmy climate.

(AFP)