By . Peter Allen In Paris . Masked gunmen today shot a woman dead in an Alpine beauty spot just a few miles from where members of a British-Iraqi family were also gunned down in cold blood. The latest brutal attack took place in the village of Lathuile, a hamlet next to Lake Annecy, in eastern France. Two men wearing cagoules and gloves broke into the home of the owners of a private camping site. The womanm who ran a campsite near Lake Annecy (pictured), was shot by masked gunmen today . The latest murder in the village of Lathuile happened just a few miles from where the British al-Hilli were gunned down while on holiday . They attacked the so far unnamed woman and her husband, who managed the ‘Ideal’ holiday resort, which is used by hundreds of British people during the summer months. The woman was killed by a bullet to the chest at around 2am, while her husband was hit with the butt of the weapon. It was in September 2012 that 50-year-old satellite engineer Saad al-Hilli was mysteriously murdered along with his wife Ikbal, 47, his mother-in-law Suhaila al-Allaf, 74, and Sylvain Mollier, a 45-year-old French cyclist, close to the village of Chevaline, which neighbours Lathuile. The Al-Hillis were also staying at a lakeside camping site, and are believed to have been attacked by at least one man using a pistol after they went on a drive into nearby woods. Engineer Saad al-Hilli was killed along with wife Ikbal and mother-in-law Suhaila al-Allaf in the French Alps last year . One of their young daughters, seven-year-old Zainab, was left for dead after being pistol whipped, but survived along with her sister Zeena, four, who hid in the family BMW. According to early police reports, the woman killed in today’s attack had been watching television when she heard a noise outside and went to investigate. Her husband followed a few seconds later and found his wife arguing with the men. He was hit around the head with the butt of the weapon, and then a fight broke out before the couple managed to run back into their house. They pulled a door shut behind them as they disappeared underneath the stairs, but there was then a gunshot and the woman was hit in the chest. The husband saw the killers escape in a small car, believed to be a Sedan, before calling the police. His wife was dead before they arrived. The husband was released from hospital today and was said to be in deep shock. Eric Maillaud, the Annecy prosecutor who has become the figurehead of the enquiry into last year’s quadruple murder, which took place close to the village of Chevaline, would not rule out a link with today’s horrific killing. ‘All tracks remain open’ said Mr Maillaud, who noted that Chevaline was ‘located a few kilometres from the campsite’. But he said that the weapons were not likely to be the same, and the ‘circumstances of the attacks’ were different. The Annecy prosecutor said he would not rule out a link between today's killing and the al-Hilli shooting . Discussing today crime, he said: ‘One can think of a burglary gone wrong, or a settling of accounts.’ Murders are comparatively rare in the areas favoured by tourists in the French Alps, especially those involving gunmen. Zaid al-Hilli, Saad's 54-year-old brother who lives in Chessington, Surrey, was arrested by British police in June on suspicion of masterminding last year’s killings. He denies all the claims, and has been bailed to return to his local police station in January. French police and their British counterparts are otherwise baffled as to who carried out the attack, and why.
The woman shot in chest in village of Lathuile, near Lake Annecy .
Her husband was beaten with the butt of the gun in the attack .
Murder is just miles from site of death of al-Hilli family killed last year .
Saad, wife Ikbal and her mother Suhaila al-Allaf gunned down on holiday .
By . Peter Allen In Paris . Masked gunmen today shot a woman dead in an Alpine beauty spot just a few miles from where members of a British-Iraqi family were also gunned down in cold blood. The latest brutal attack took place in the village of Lathuile, a hamlet next to Lake Annecy, in eastern France. Two men wearing cagoules and gloves broke into the home of the owners of a private camping site. The womanm who ran a campsite near Lake Annecy (pictured), was shot by masked gunmen today . The latest murder in the village of Lathuile happened just a few miles from where the British al-Hilli were gunned down while on holiday . They attacked the so far unnamed woman and her husband, who managed the ‘Ideal’ holiday resort, which is used by hundreds of British people during the summer months. The woman was killed by a bullet to the chest at around 2am, while her husband was hit with the butt of the weapon. It was in September 2012 that 50-year-old satellite engineer Saad al-Hilli was mysteriously murdered along with his wife Ikbal, 47, his mother-in-law Suhaila al-Allaf, 74, and Sylvain Mollier, a 45-year-old French cyclist, close to the village of Chevaline, which neighbours Lathuile. The Al-Hillis were also staying at a lakeside camping site, and are believed to have been attacked by at least one man using a pistol after they went on a drive into nearby woods. Engineer Saad al-Hilli was killed along with wife Ikbal and mother-in-law Suhaila al-Allaf in the French Alps last year . One of their young daughters, seven-year-old Zainab, was left for dead after being pistol whipped, but survived along with her sister Zeena, four, who hid in the family BMW. According to early police reports, the woman killed in today’s attack had been watching television when she heard a noise outside and went to investigate. Her husband followed a few seconds later and found his wife arguing with the men. He was hit around the head with the butt of the weapon, and then a fight broke out before the couple managed to run back into their house. They pulled a door shut behind them as they disappeared underneath the stairs, but there was then a gunshot and the woman was hit in the chest. The husband saw the killers escape in a small car, believed to be a Sedan, before calling the police. His wife was dead before they arrived. The husband was released from hospital today and was said to be in deep shock. Eric Maillaud, the Annecy prosecutor who has become the figurehead of the enquiry into last year’s quadruple murder, which took place close to the village of Chevaline, would not rule out a link with today’s horrific killing. ‘All tracks remain open’ said Mr Maillaud, who noted that Chevaline was ‘located a few kilometres from the campsite’. But he said that the weapons were not likely to be the same, and the ‘circumstances of the attacks’ were different. The Annecy prosecutor said he would not rule out a link between today's killing and the al-Hilli shooting . Discussing today crime, he said: ‘One can think of a burglary gone wrong, or a settling of accounts.’ Murders are comparatively rare in the areas favoured by tourists in the French Alps, especially those involving gunmen. Zaid al-Hilli, Saad's 54-year-old brother who lives in Chessington, Surrey, was arrested by British police in June on suspicion of masterminding last year’s killings. He denies all the claims, and has been bailed to return to his local police station in January. French police and their British counterparts are otherwise baffled as to who carried out the attack, and why.
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