11 January 2023 , 07:50
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A knifeman has been ‘neutralised’ at the Gare du Nord Eurostar railway hub in Paris today after "wounding several people".
Police shot the man repeatedly after the attack, which took place shortly after 6am on Wednesday morning, at the start of the rush hour.
"He lunged at people indiscriminately before police intervened," said an investigating source.
France’s Interior Minister, Gerald Darmanin, indicated that the man was wounded himself and then arrested thanks to the "effective and courageous reaction" of the police.
Cops gather at the scene of the attack at the Paris Gare Du Nord Eurostar railway hub in Paris (AFP via Getty Images)A female witness to the attack, who asked not to be identified, said: "I was with my friends at the Gare du Nord this morning, heading off on holiday, and we were just going into the entrance when we heard someone shout.
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"People were lying on the ground, and others getting on trains as quickly as possible. Someone had a knife out and was attacking people.
"I looked after the first victim who had been wounded. I got the impression that the knifeman was just attacking anyone close to him.
"As people were being looked after, I heard shots being fired – the forces of law and order were reacting to the attacker.
Cops gather at the scene of the attack at the Paris Gare Du Nord Eurostar railway hub in Paris (@LionelMgs/Twitter)"The whole thing was incredibly shocking. I was so close to the attack, it could have involved anyone."
There was no initial indication as to the motive of the attacker.
A Paris police source said six people were wounded ‘including one extremely seriously’.
He said the knifeman was also fighting for his life in a secure Paris hospital, having been shot repeatedly.
Train services were severely disrupted at Gare du Nord – one of the busiest stations in Europe, from where trains regularly set off for London, Brussels and other major cities.
The man was arrested by police at the station (AFP via Getty Images)The stabbing follows a series of bomb, gun and knife attacks carried out by Islamic State and al-Qaeda operatives in France, dating back to early 2015.
The deadliest single terrorist attack ever in the country came in November 2015 when 130 people were killed in Paris.
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Suicide bombers pledging allegiance to ISIS targeted the Stade de France, cafes, restaurants and the Bataclan music venue, where 90 died.
Earlier in the year, two Paris-born gunmen linked to Al-Qaeda broke into the offices of the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine, leaving 17 people dead inside and three outside.
The station in the French hub for the Eurostar train (Xinhua/REX/Shutterstock)In July 2016, 86 people were called and more than 400 injured when a 19 tonne truck was deliberately driven into crowds on the seafront promenade at Nice, which is just 20 miles from Cannes.
The terrorist turned out to be a Tunisian immigrant who was shot dead by police.
During the same month, two Isis terrorists murdered an 86-year-old Catholic priest during a church service in Normandy.
And in October 2020, three people were stabbed to death by a Tunisian immigrant in the Notre Dame basilica in Nice.
There have also been frequent knife attacks on the forces of law and order, leading to the deaths of serving police.
Paris has been rocked by horrific terror attacks in the last decade, including the most deadly in November 2015 when 130 people were killed (Getty Images)It comes as Heathrow counter-terrorism police investigate a deadly shipment of uranium smuggled into the UK.
Scotland Yard has confirmed Met Counter Terrorism Command officers were contacted by Border Force at the London airport after a material was found to be contaminated during a "routine screening".
The incident happened on December 29 last year.
The constabulary has reassured that the "extremely small" amount discovered poses "no threat".
However, an investigation remains ongoing, with various lines of inquiry being followed, it added.
No arrests have been made and officers are working with partner agencies to investigate and ensure there is no wider risk to the public.