Knife-wielding man kills four police officers in Paris

A knife-wielding man has killed four police officers at central police headquarters in Paris, the French media have reported.

The attacker has not been named but is reportedly a member of staff. He was shot dead by Police.

The incident took place in an area known as île de la Cité at around 1pm on Thursday in the courtyard of the headquarters, located in the centre of Paris. The area has since been sealed off by Police. 

The attack comes a day after police went on strike across France over increasing violence towards officers.

Paris pleure les siens cet après-midi après cette effroyable attaque survenue à la @prefpolice. Le bilan est lourd, plusieurs policiers ont perdu la vie. En mon nom et celui des Parisiens, mes premières pensées vont aux familles des victimes et à leurs proches.

— Anne Hidalgo (@Anne_Hidalgo) October 3, 2019

President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and Interior Minister Christophe Castaner have all gone to the site but no official statement has been made so far.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo confirmed on Twitter that "several people" had been killed in the attack, which took place near major tourist sites including the Notre-Dame cathedral.

Another person was also reportedly wounded.

According to French media reports, the attacker was a 45-year-old male who worked within the administration of the Paris police force for over 20 years.