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Knifeman dead after fatal attack in central Paris

AFP/The Local France
AFP/The Local France - [email protected]
Knifeman dead after fatal attack in central Paris
Policemen puts on their gear after Saturday night's attack. Photo: AFP

One person was killed and four injured on Saturday night in central Paris by a man armed with a knife, who was shot dead by police, security sources said.

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The attack took place near the city's main opera house in an area full of  bars, restaurants and theatres which were brimming on a weekend night.

The man attacked five people with a knife, one of whom died, police said. 

Two were in serious condition and all the victims are in hospital.  

Interior Minister Gerard Collomb hailed in a tweet the "sang-froid and reaction of the police who neutralised the attacker."

A large area was cordoned-off where police, fire and rescue vehicles  converged. 

Shocked tourists and residents looked on from behind the security perimeter.

"I was on the cafe terrace, I heard three, four shots, it happened very  fast," said 47-year-old Gloria.

"Then the bartenders told us to come inside very quickly. Then I went out to see what was going on, and then I saw a man on the ground," she added.

Police said the attacker's motives were still unknown.

A string of jihadist attacks have claimed the lives of over 245 people around France in the past three years.


Photo: AFP

 

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