French Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve says a machete attack near the capital’s Louvre Museum was “clearly terrorist in nature.”<br /><br /> Anti-terror police have launched an investigation into the incident.<br /><br /> The head of Paris police, Michel Cadot said the assailant was “clearly aggressive and represented a direct threat.”<br /><br /> The man, whose identity and nationality are as yet unknown, slightly wounded a soldier on security duty in the Carrousel shopping centre under the museum, near one of its entrances. Soldiers responded with five shots, seriously wounding the attacker.<br /><br /> The police later tweeted that the suspect had been “neutralised.”<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /> Intervention en cours au #Louvre : individu neutralisé.— Préfecture de police (@prefpolice) February 3, 2017<br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /> A second person was detained due to suspicious behaviour, although the two are not thought to be linked.<br /><br /> Police believe the attacker acted alone.<br /><br /> “An assailant armed with a machete at the very least, but perhaps with a second weapon, who was carrying two backpacks, approached the police officers and soldiers in charge of security and threatened them. Notably he shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’,” Cadot told reporters.<br /><br /> Later reports suggested two machetes were found on the suspect.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /> #louvre attacker's remarks have led #Paris police to believe he wanted to carry out a #terrorist attack, the head of Paris police says— Sarah Taylor (@SarahTaylorNews) February 3, 2017<br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /> According to the police chief, no explosives were found in the suspect’s bags.<br /><br /> The museum and its surroundings were evacuated shortly after the attack and visitors inside were prevented from leaving.<br /><br /> France is under a state of emergency following a spate of terror attacks in which more than 230 people have been killed. In December, 2016, parliament voted to extend the measure to July, 2017.<br /><br /> Presidential elections are due to be held in April and May. Security and fears of terrorism are among the key issues on which contenders are focussing.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /> What we know about the Louvre attack at 10:20 GMT pic.twitter.com/9gyGqqmlkg— AFP news agency (@AFP) February 3, 2017<br />
