PARIS, Dec 3: In central Paris, a man suspected of carrying out a knife and hammer attack that resulted in one fatality and two injuries has been apprehended by French police. The incident unfolded near the Eiffel Tower at Bir Hakeim, as disclosed by France's Interior Minister, Gerald Darmanin, during a press briefing on Saturday night. The arrested individual is identified as a French citizen with a previous intelligence services record.

The victim of the attack, a German tourist born in the Philippines, lost his life, while two others sustained injuries deemed non-life threatening, according to Minister Darmanin. Law enforcement responding to the scene deployed a taser to subdue the assailant, whose life is currently not in jeopardy.

Darmanin revealed that post-arrest, the suspect expressed distress over the loss of Muslim lives in Afghanistan and Palestine. Born in France in 1997, the assailant had a criminal history, having received a four-year prison sentence in 2016 for planning "violent action." Additionally, he was flagged by intelligence services due to severe psychiatric disorders.

French President Emmanuel Macron classified the incident as a terror attack, announcing that France's anti-terrorism prosecutor's office would conduct an investigation.

Expressing condolences to the deceased German national's family, Macron acknowledged the role of French emergency services and called for a thorough investigation by the national anti-terrorism prosecutor's office. Videos from the scene depicted the arrival of police vehicles, ambulances, and the Paris Fire Brigade, with traffic diversions and cordons in place. The public has been advised to steer clear of the area.