French police have launched a terror investigation after a vehicle rammed into a police car in Paris.
The attacker, who was described by witnesses as "armed", is believed to have died after his car exploded during the incident, Interior ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet said.
He added that the man appeared to have been acting deliberately.
Bomb experts were also called to the scene, he added.
Dramatic images posted on social media showed a huge police presence in the popular shopping district.
Members of the public were advised to avoid an area close to the presidential Elysee palace.
The national gendarmerie service later confirmed that no police officers or members of the public had been injured and said the incident was "under control".
The Paris counter-terrrorism unit has opened an investigation into the incident, the city's prosecutor said.
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