Knife-wielding man shouting 'Allah' attacks French soldier at Paris subway station

A man carrying a knife attacked a soldier who was on patrol in central Paris on Friday. Reports state that the French soldier has not sustained any injuries.

The incident occurred at the central Chatelet metro station around 6.30 am (10 am IST), and the attacker was reportedly shouting "Allah", a police source told AFP. The man was swiftly brought under control by the soldier.

Reports state that the man was not previously known to the police, and has been arrested.

The incident has occurred when the country is still on high alert, following a string of terrorism associated attacks on France which began in 2015. In January 2015, Islamist gunmen had stormed into the offices of satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, killing 12 journalists.

A terror incident also occurred in London, where an explosion was reported on an underground train at Parsons Green station. Although the reason for the blast has not been ascertained yet, authorities are treating the explosion as a "terrorist incident."

Many people were injured in the blast, with several facing burns.

UK Prime Minister is set to attend a high-level emergency COBRA meeting to ascertain the situation.

French Defence Minister Florence Parly, referring to Friday's incident, said the fact that the attacker was swiftly brought under control was "proof of the professionalism and efficiency of the Sentinelle soldiers in their mission to protect."

"We do not know the intentions of the attacker, who was arrested," she told Europe 1 radio.

The French government had launched an operation called Sentinelle following the 2015 attack, where it deployed nearly 7,000 troops across the country o guard high-risk areas such as tourist sites and religious buildings.