France terror fears as knife-wielding attacker stabs woman in broad daylight
A KNIFE-WIELDING attacker was shot by French police today after stabbing a woman in broad daylight.
The horrific incident happened in Montauban shortly after mid-day
The 23-year-old suspect, struck in the south-western town of Montauban, near Tolouse, shortly after midday.
ISIS supporters have shared news of the attack on chat app Telegram, sparking fears it was linked to the terror group.
Police followed the assailant, who may have been drunk, after he was seen driving erratically in a VW Golf registered locally.
They then witnessed the driver jumping out of the car and stabbing a woman in the shoulder blade.
He then ran towards a couple and tried to wound them too, but was then shot by police, who described him as having been "neutralised".
The victim is in a stable condition in hospital.
ISIS supporters have shared news of the attack on chat app Telegram
It may be that he was drunk at the time of the attack
A police source said: "The suspect was rushed to hospital, and will be interviewed at length.
"It may be that he was drunk at the time of the attack. He is injured, but his wounds are not life threatening.
He is said be to from the French overseas territory of Reunion Island.
Police sources said the suspect will be 'interviewed at length'
Five years ago, al-Qaeda operative killed two Muslim French soldiers in the same town.
Mohammed Merah, a 23-year-old fanatic, gunned down the uniformed soldiers in a shopping centre in March 2012.
Merah also shot dead a French Muslim paratrooper in Toulouse.
Mohammed Merah killed two soldiers in the same town in 2012
The militant went on to murder four Jewish people, including three children, at the Ozar Hatorah day school in Toulouse.
He was then killed during a gunfight with special forces police at his flat in Toulouse.
France remains in a state of emergency following a series of horrific terror attacks carried out by Al-Qaeda and ISIS cells.