French Soldier Shoots Attacker Outside Louvre

A French soldier guarding the Louvre in Paris has shot a man who tried to attack a security patrol with a machete.

The man, who tried to gain entry to the Louvre’s shopping center, was shot in the abdomen and seriously injured, BBC reported.

One soldier received a head injury.

Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve hastily said the attack was “terrorist in nature”. The Louvre, home to numerous celebrated artworks, is the most visited museum in the world.

Police say five shots were fired at the man who was taken to a hospital.

Two rucksacks belonging to the suspected attacker have been inspected but no explosives were found. A second person has been arrested.

Two hundred and fifty visitors in the Louvre at the time were evacuated gradually after security checks.

As the attack unfolded, they were told by security staff to crouch on the floor. France has been on a high state of alert since the Paris attacks of 2015.

A series of assaults by gunmen and suicide bombers claimed by the self-styled Islamic State terrorist group killed 130 people in November 2015.

In January of the same year, 17 people were killed in an attack on the Charlie Hebdo magazine and linked shootings.