France, June 6 -- A Frenchman accused of shooting dead his Tunisian neighbour in a village in southern France has been formally indicted for murder as an act of terrorism, motivated by the victim's origins.

Christophe B., the suspect in the killing of 42-year-old Hichem Miraoui, was charged with murder as an act of terrorism on Thursday and held in custody, France's national anti-terror prosecutor's office (PNAT) announced.

PNATtook over the case- the first time a far-right racist attack has been treated as a "terrorist" offence since the unit was created in 2019.

Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said Tuesday that the killing of Miraoui was "clearly a racist crime", "probably also anti-Muslim".

"My client regrets the events," Christ...