Man with knife shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ shot by Paris Metro guards

A man wielding a knife and shouting “Allah Akbar” was shot and seriously wounded by guards at the Saint-Lazare metro station in Paris overnight Monday.

According to BFMTV, the man also shouted: “France is ruled by the Islamic State.”

The outlet said that the incident began when guards tried to question the man for not wearing a mask.

“Shortly before midnight, a man took out a knife from his bag and ran toward the agents, threatening them and shouting Allah Akbar,” a police source told AFP.

“The two agents used their service weapons to defend themselves and neutralize him. The injured individual was treated by the emergency services,” the French national railway company said.

The man was reportedly hospitalized in serious condition with bullet wounds to his torso.

Illustrative — French police officers enter a metro station at the Trocadero, near the Eiffel Tower, as they enforce a curfew, in Paris, France, Dec. 15, 2020 (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

An investigation was opened into “attempted murder of a public servant, terrorism and violent conduct with a weapon,” prosecutors said.

The suspect was not previously known to intelligence services but was known to security services for previous violent conduct, reports said.