Soldiers shot and severely injured a man who tried to attack them with a knife at the world famous Louvre Museum in Paris on Friday, police said. 

Paris police chief Michel Cadot said the attacker yelled "Allahu Akbar," Arabic for God is Great, before assailing a four-man patrol of soldiers. The soldiers first tried to subdue the man before firing five rounds at the attacker and critically injuring him. One soldier was lightly injured in the head. 

Cadot said the attacker had two backpacks, both of which did not have explosives. Two machetes were  found in the backpacks.

Police spokesman Benoit Brulon said the man attacked the soldiers after he was refused entry with the backpacks into a shopping area under the museum, located in the heart of the French capital.  

Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said the attack had "a terrorist nature." Anti-terrorism investigators have taken over the case. No information on the attacker has been released. 

Interior Ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet said a second individual was also detained, but it remains unclear whether the person had anything to do with the attack. 

The museum was put on lockdown and transportation suspended in the vicinity of the museum. Around 1,000 people were inside the museum and were let out in small groups after being verified, the interior ministry said. 

DW correspondent Lisa Louis reported a heavy security presence around the Louvre.

Soldiers carrying automatic weapons are deployed around the capital and other cities in France in the wake of a string of terror and knife attacks in the country by Islamic militants in 2015 and 2016.

cw/ks (AFP, AP, dpa)