A person has died and another was injured after an assailant attacked passersby in central Paris near the Eiffel Tower, the French Interior Minister said on Saturday.
On X, formerly Twitter, Gerald Darmanin wrote: "The police have just courageously arrested an assailant attacking passersby in Paris, around the Quai de Grenelle. One deceased person and one injured person treated by the Paris fire brigade. Please avoid the area."
AFP, citing a source, said the suspect had shouted out "Allah Akbah" in the French capital, but this has not been confirmed by authorities.
The anti-terrorism prosecutor's office said it had not yet put in charge of an investigation.
"The assailant was neutralised very quickly by police. We tried to save the life of this man. It's a man who died and they (the people who were attacked) were tourists," Dr Patrick Pelloux told BFM TV.
BFM, citing police, said the man who died was of German nationality and that the assailant's weapon was a hammer.
Saturday night's incident in central Paris occurred less than eight months before the French capital hosts the Olympic Games and could raise questions about security at the global sporting event.
Paris plans an unprecedented opening ceremony on the Seine river that may draw as many as 600,000 spectators.
