Knife attack in Paris leaves one dead, four injured, ISIS claims responsibility

An Islamic State operative was shot dead by the police in Central Paris late on Saturday after he killed one person and injured four. The Islamic State was quick to claim responsibility for the attack. Reports said that the knifeman was shouting 'Allahu Akbar' while carrying out the attack.

The attack took place near the main Opera House, a crowded area which house several theatres, bars and restaurants. French President Emmanuel Macron said: "France once again pays the price of blood."

Witnesses said that the man shouted 'Allah Akbar as he carried out the attack, which has promoted a terror probe. SITE monitoring group said that the ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack.

"The executor of the stabbing operation in the city of Paris is a soldier of the Islamic State and the operation was carried out in response to the calls to target the coalition states," a "security source" told IS's official Amaq news agency, according to SITE. The man attacked five people with a knife, one of whom died, police said. Two were in serious condition and all the victims are in hospital.

France has suffered a series of major Islamist attacks over the past three years, including the massacre at the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, the November 2015 attacks that killed 130 in Paris, and the 2016 Bastille Day truck attack in Nice.