Knife-wielding assailant shot by soldier near Louvre in Paris

A man armed with a machete was shot by a French soldier as he attempted to enter the Louvre museum in Paris, according to CNN.

The man, who also carried two bags on his back, shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ and attacked a group of soldiers and guards in the Carrousel du Louvre, the underground plaza close to the museum. A soldier fired five shots at the assailant, one of which struck him in the stomach. The head of Paris police, Michel Cadot, told reporters at the scene that the attacker was alive but seriously wounded in hospital.

He also said that the bags carried by the attacker had contained no explosives. About 250 visitors to the Louvre were taken to a secure area and later evacuated.

Although the identity and nationality of the attacker currently remain unknown, the public prosecutor said in a statement that an anti-terrorism inquiry has already been opened.