An injured police and police officer in Mulhouse

A person has been killed and five police officers injured in a knife attack in the eastern city of Mulhouse.

A 37 -year -old Algerian man was arrested on the scene and the prosecutor opened a terrorist investigation because, according to the reports, the suspect shouted “Allahu Akbar”, or “God is great.”

The man seriously wounded two police officers, one in the neck and one in the chest. A 69 -year -old Portuguese man who tried to intervene was stabbed and killed.

The suspect was subject to a deportation order because he was on a terrorism surveillance list, according to the local prosecutor. President Emmanuel Macron said that “there was undoubtedly an Islamist terrorist attack.”

After expressing their condolences to the victim’s family, Macron added: “I want to reiterate the determination of the government and mine to continue the work to eradicate terrorism in our soil.”

The attack took place around 16:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Saturday near a market occupied in Mulhouse, which is close to the borders with Germany and Switzerland.

Police officers were in patrol in a demonstration in support of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

“I have lived in France for 41 years and I have never experienced something like this,” said Cemalettin Canak, 55, to the Reuters news agency.

“I was very surprised,” he added. “Now, when I go to the market, I’ll be a little nervous.”

Of the two officers taken to the hospital, the injured in the chest was discharged, prosecutors told the AFP news agency, while three others suffered minor injuries.

“Horror has seized our city,” wrote Michele Lutz by Mulhouse Michele on Facebook.

The French prime minister, François Bayrou, published in X that “fanaticism has played again and we are mourning.”

“My thoughts naturally go to the victims and their families, with the signing hope that the injured recover,” he said.

Visiting the scene on Saturday night, Interior Minister Bruno Retilleau, told BroadCaster TF1 that it was discovered that the suspect had an “schizophrenic profile” after his arrest.

He also said that France had tried to expel the suspect 10 times, and every time Algeria had refused to accept it.

He asked for the establishment of a new “Balance of Power” with Algeria, and told reporters that “we must change the rules” about how detention centers operate.

There were no immediate public comments from Algeria in response.

Additional reports from Tom Bennett and Rorey Bosotti