Paris police prefect says man ‘armed with a machete’ shouted threats and ‘Allahu Akbar’ at soldiers

(CNN)French authorities have opened a terror investigation after a solider shot a man wielding a machete near the Louvre museum in Paris.

The man had rushed towards a group of soldiers and guards in the Carrousel du Louvre, the underground plaza adjoining the museum, according to Paris police chief Michel Cadot. Wielding the weapon, the man shouted “Allahu akbar” (God is greatest), Cadot said.

The soldier fired five shots in response. Police officers take position outside the Louvre museum in Parison Friday. The attacker was wearing two backpacks and may have had a second weapon, Cadot said. He was seriously injured by a bullet to the stomach. One solider was slightly injured on the scalp.

No explosives were found in the two backpacks of the man, who was taken into custody alive and conscious. He was tended to by the fire service, Cadot said. A second person was arrested, the French Interior Ministry said, although it was not immediately clear whether they were connected to the attack.

Terror investigation –The French Prime Minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, described the attack as “terrorist in nature”. The Paris prosecutor announced a terror investigation.About 250 visitors who were in the Louvre museum at the time were taken to a secure area and were being evacuated in small groups after checks were carried out. A security cordon was set up after the incident, which began at 10 a.m. (4 a.m. ET.)

French Interior Minister Bruno Le Roux hailed the police and military for their calm and professionalism in subduing the attacker — and said the incident was a reminder of the present threat. The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, added: “In this context of terrorist threat that concerns every big city in the world, we saw how efficient and relevant Paris security features were.”