A French soldier on duty at the Carrousel du Louvre shopping mall in Paris opened fire Friday morning on a machete-wielding man who attempted to attack a group of soldiers and police officers, according to police.
French Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve described the attack as "terrorist in nature," and has opened a terror investigation, according to ABC News. There is a significant presence of soldiers in the French capital since the country is in an extended state of emergency until July 2017.
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Paris Police Chief Michel Cadot said the man, armed with a machete and shouting "Allahu Akbar" (God is great" in Arabic), launched himself at soldiers and police officers.
One of the soldiers shot the attacker five times, seriously wounding him in the stomach, Cadot said.
Cadot said the attacker was also carrying two backpacks but they were later found not to contain any explosives.
One soldier had a minor scalp injury, said Cadot.
A spokesman for the Ministry of the Interior, speaking at the scene, said a second person had been arrested at the scene and their "possible connection" to the incident was being investigated. It was not clear if this person had a direct connection to the attacker.
