A soldier patrolling as part of France's Vigipirate anti-terrorist surveillance plan was stabbed in the neck this afternoon, Reuters reports.
A police source told the news agency that the soldier would survive the attack. He is 23 years old, according to CNN.
Le Parisien is reporting that the attacker was of Northern African appearance, aged around 30 years old and wearing a jilbab, a type of Islamic garment. The man quickly fled the scene and has not been caught.
The attack happened in La Défense, to the west of Paris, around 6 p.m.
"We still don't know the exact circumstances of the attack or the identity of the attacker, but we are exploring all options," French President Francois Hollande told reporters in Ethiopia, where he is currently on an official visit.
Last week a British soldier was hacked to death on a street in south east London, though there is no indication the two attacks are linked at present.
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