Assailant stabs 3 in Paris metro spree

French police on Friday arrested a man suspected of stabbing three women in the Paris metro as the capital's end-of-year festivities were in full swing, prosecutors told AFP.

The three victims were knifed at three different locations along the Line 3 metro line that runs across central Paris, the RATP authority that runs the transit service told AFP.

An AFP journalist at the Republique station saw a security team treating a woman who had been wounded in the leg and appeared to be in a state of shock.


The attacks happened between 4:15 pm (1515 GMT) and 4:45 pm at the stations Republique and Arts et Metiers -- both next to the Marais district -- and the Opera station, the RATP said.

"The victims were quickly taken care of by the emergency services," it said.

Police used surveillance-camera footage and mobile-tracking tools to locate the suspected attacker in the Val d'Oise region north of Paris, said prosecutors.

"Activating the gelocation of his mobile phone led to his arrest late afternoon in Val d'Oise," they said.

"The police are on site. Back-up security teams have been deployed to reinforce safety on the line," it added.

European capitals are especially vigilant during the end-of-year period for any violent incidents, given recent attacks and plots targeting festive or religious gatherings.

Last week, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez called for "maximum vigilance" in a message to senior officials.

Due to the "very high level of the terrorist threat" and "the risk of public disorder", Nunez asked local officials to strengthen security measures across the country with a visible and deterrent presence.