Man shot dead after attacking police near Arc de Triomphe in Paris

The police did not name the suspect but said he was French, born in 1978, and had been convicted of terrorism charges for attempted murder committed in Belgium.

A man who tried to attack a police officer with a knife near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris on Friday was shot by police and later died of his injuries, France's anti-terrorism prosecution office said.

French soldiers and police officers secure the area after authorities said a man armed with a knife attacked a police officer near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France, February 13, 2026. (REUTERS)

The police officer was not harmed, and no one else was wounded, it said.

The man had been released from prison in December after serving 12 years on terrorism charges, the office added.

The attack took place near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where police officers were rekindling the flame, Paris police said. The French anti-terrorism prosecutor's office said it was taking over the case shortly after the attack.

It did not name the suspect but said he was French, born in 1978, and had been convicted of terrorism charges for attempted murder committed in Belgium and sentenced to 17 years in prison.

Following his release in December after he had served 12 years, he had been placed under police scrutiny with routine checks, the prosecution office said.