Second suspect arrested after knife attack near former Charlie Hebdo offices [Updates]

A man wielding a knife seriously wounded two people in Paris on Friday in a suspected terror attack outside the former offices of satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, three weeks into the trial of suspected accomplices in the 2015 massacre of the newspaper's staff.

French police officers arrive to secure the area after several people were injured near the former offices of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo following an attack by a man wielding a knife in the capital Paris 25 September 2020 AFP - ALAIN JOCARD

Update 15:39

No explosives were found in a suspect package found at the scene of a stabbing attack that took place near the old offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in eastern Paris

Update 15:17

Thousands of local school-children have been confined to their classrooms. An investigation of attempted murder has been launched by anti-terrorist police.One of the suspects arrested after the stabbing that resulted in two stab wounds. wounded Friday in Paris near Charlie's former premises of Charlie Hebdo is of Pakistani origin and is known for the services of police, according to reports from radio station Europe 1.

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 "A serious event has taken place in Paris," said Prime Minister Castex, who was addressing reporters at the time and cut short a visit to northern Paris to head to the crisis centre at the interior ministry.

"Four people have been wounded and it seems that two are in a serious condition," he said.

Police have since arrested the suspected attacker.

The man was detained near the sprawling Place de la Bastille, police said, adding he was the only suspect in an attack.

The daily newspaper Le Monde quotes "judicial sources" as saying that a second suspect has since been arrested in the same area.

Intervention de police en cours secteur Richard Lenoir à #Paris11.
Évitez le secteur.

— Préfecture de Police (@prefpolice) September 25, 2020

Schools and several metro stations in the area of the attack have been closed.

Anti-terrorist police are investigating a case of attempted murder.

Al-Quaeda repeats Charlie Hebdo warning

Jean Castex added the attack had taken place "in front of" the satirical weekly's former offices in the 11th district of central Paris. The magazine's current address is kept secret for security reasons.

The stabbing attack comes as the trial continues in the capital of 14 alleged accomplices of the authors of the January 2015 attack on Charlie Hebdo.

The magazine marked the opening of the trial by republishing hugely controversial cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.

 Al-Qaeda then threatened Charlie Hebdo with a repeat of the 2015 massacre of its staff.