Attacker stabs and wounds French soldier patrolling Paris ahead of Olympics

A French soldier was stabbed outside a major train station in Paris on Monday, and the attacker was arrested, officials said.

Paris is on high security alert, 11 days before the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics.

A French military official said the soldier was taken to hospital with a shoulder blade injury but is not in a life-threatening condition.

An investigation was opened into attempted murder, and the suspect’s identity was being confirmed, the prosecutor’s office said.

Authorities did not suspect terrorism as a motive at this stage, according to the national counterterrorism prosecutor’s office.

The soldier was among thousands of troops serving in the Sentinelle force for France’s domestic security.

Interior minister Gerald Darmanin tweeted that the soldier had been patrolling at the Gare de l’Est train station in eastern Paris, and that the attacker was detained.

Paris is deploying about 30,000 police officers each day for the Olympics, which run from July 26 to August 11, with a peak of 45,000 for the opening ceremony on the Seine river.

About 18,000 members of the military are also helping ensure security.

Soldiers in the Sentinelle force have been targeted in the past.