‘Terror’ Attack on the Louvre Foiled in Paris

A French soldier has shot and wounded a man who attempted a machete attack outside the entrance to the Louvre in Paris—one of the world’s most-visited museums. The suspect was reportedly carrying two backpacks when he allegedly pulled a knife on the soldier at around 10 a.m. local time Friday and shouted “Allahu Akbar.” The soldier was patrolling the area as part of Operation Sentenelle, foot-patrols that were instituted near major landmarks after the attacks on Charlie Hebdo and a Paris supermarket in January 2015. One soldier had a head wound resulting from the exchange. Officers fired five shots at the suspect, who received a “serious” abdominal wound. Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve called the attack “terrorist in nature.” Paris police prefect Michel Cadot said, “We are dealing with an attack from an individual who was clearly aggressive and represented a direct threat, and whose comments lead us to believe that he wished to carry out a terrorist incident.” The Louvre is closed “for the moment,” according to a spokeswoman, but it is unclear if the establishment was evacuated.