France stabbing: Several hurt in knife attack at Paris central railway station, attacker 'neutralised'

Paris Knife Attack: Paris police said the incident at the Gare du Nord station is now over but are offering no other immediate details.

Paris: Several people have been stabbed by a knife-wielding man who attacked several passengers at the Paris central railway station on Wednesday, according to French media reports. France's Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin was quoted by media reports as saying that several people were injured in the attack before the police 'rapidly neutralised' the attacker.

Media reports, quoting unnamed police sources, said police opened fire early on Wednesday on the attacker who was armed with a knife and injured several people. The suspect was shot by police multiple times and arrested after the attack at Gare du Nord at around 6.45 am. 

Interior Minister Darmanin initially confirmed that the attacker injured several people at the station through a tweet but gave no other details on their number or the extent of the injuries.

Paris police said the incident at the Gare du Nord station is now over but offered no other immediate details. The man's motivations were not immediately clear, the Paris police added.

Pictures shared by social media users showed armed police guarding a cordon on the station concourse.

The transport hub is one of the busiest in Europe, with Eurostar trains to London and others to northern Europe. Some rail departures have resumed since the stabbing, which saw the station evacuated and a security perimeter established, the French train firm SNCF said on its website. 

The fresh knife attack comes after another attack at Gare du Nord last February, when French police shot and killed a man who stabbed two officers, giving them minor injuries. It was not thought to be terror-related.