Knife-wielding man in France kills one, injures two people; no clarity yet on whether attack was terror-related

Paris: The attacker who killed two people in a knife attack was shot dead by police in a town west of Paris, said a senior French official. Jean-Jacques Brot, the top government administrator in the Yvelines region, tweeted that the attacker in the town of Trappes was “neutralized” and was dead on Thursday. The tweet also said that two of the attacker’s victims were killed and another seriously injured. Earlier, media reports said the attacker had used a knife on his victims before being shot by police. [caption id=“attachment_3956817” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AP[/caption] French police had earlier tweeted that they have “contained” a person in Trappes, west of Paris, following reports of a knife attack. French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb had tweeted that the attacker was neutralized without saying if he was dead. Previously, BFM-TV reported that a man had attacked passersby with a knife, killing one and seriously injuring two others, before being shot by police. He said his thoughts were with “the victims and their loved ones,” without saying how many victims there were. Police and Interior Ministry officials said the attack claimed at least one victim. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the situation publicly. BFM-TV had earlier said a man armed with a knife had attacked passersby, killing one and seriously injuring two others, before being shot by police in Trappes, west of Paris. There was no immediate police confirmation of the attack on Thursday morning. Police simply tweeted that an operation was underway in Trappes, with a security perimeter in place. BFM-TV also reported that the man first sheltered in a house after attacking people with a knife and then was shot by police.