French police have shot a man outside Notre Dame cathedral in Paris after he tried to attack them with a hammer and shouted "this is for Syria", according to the interior minister, reports The Telegraph.
He was also in possession of two knives. One policeman was lightly injured in the attack.
The man also said he was a "soldier of Daesh (Isil)", according to a source on the investigation.
The main square has been evacuated and a police operation is underway. Paris police say the situation is now "under control".
Anti-terror prosecutors have launched an investigation meaning they consider the attack terror-related.
Gérard Collomb, the interior minister, who visited the scene shortly afterwards, said: "A person armed with a hammer started hitting a police officer. His colleague opened fire, ensuring the attacked officer didn't suffer any more serious harm.
He added that during the attack the man, who BFMTV said is an Algerian "student' in his forties, shouted: "This is for Syria."
According to BFMTV, he had two knives in a bag.
Two "blasts" sparked panic among tourists amassed outside Notre Dame. A man was then seen "lying on the ground inert", according to a journalist with France Info who works by the cathedral.