French Security Officers Fire at Man with Knife in Paris Station - Tasnim News Agency

(Tasnim) – Paris railway police shot and severely injured a man who threatened them with a knife in Paris train station Saint Lazare on Monday evening, French media reported on Tuesday.

BFM TV and CNews televisions said the man pulled out a knife when he was approached by security officers for not wearing mandatory face mask as required under France's COVID-19 measures, Reuters reported.

The motives of the attack are not known. A Paris police spokesman had no immediate comment.

A spokesperson for Paris prosecutors said they had opened an investigation into attempted murder and promoting terrorism.

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•   Officers at France’s Saint-Lazare station have reportedly shot a knife-wielding man who ran at staff shouting, “Allahu Akbar! France is ruled by the Islamic State,” following a routine request to follow Covid safety protocols.

The man was shot on Monday evening, after he threatened station staff with a knife, leaving one security officer seriously injured, according to France’s BFMTV.

According to French media, he was previously known to police, having committed acts of violence, but had not been known to the intelligence services or been considered a terrorist threat prior to the incident.

Having initially been stopped for failing to wear a mask in compliance with Covid safety measures, he reportedly became aggressive with staff, before pulling out a knife and running at security officers, screaming, “Allahu Akbar! France is ruled by the Islamic State.”

Despite managing to harm one of them, the assailant was quickly shot twice, falling onto the tracks. He was subsequently rushed to hospital, where he is believed to be undergoing treatment. ...RT