One person has been killed and others taken hostage at a supermarket in a southern French town of Trebes, according to media reports citing the local mayor.
The office of the public prosecutor said it had opened a murder investigation in relation to an act of terrorism.
The incident unfolded at a Super U supermarket late Friday morning. A local prosecutor said the attack appeared to be “ISIS-inspired,” CNN affiliate BFM TV reported.
Images from the scene showed police and security personnel surrounding the supermarket
French Interior Minister Gérard Collomb said on Twitter that he was on his way to Trebes. He had been briefed by security forces and a security cordon has been established in the area, he wrote.
“Avoid the area and stay tuned to the instructions from authorities.”
France had faced a string of terror attacks in recent years, including the deadly 2015 Paris attacks, as well as several smaller-scale assaults.
President Emmanuel Macron is in Brussels and is expected to speak publicly later Friday.