A man armed with two kitchen knives wounded three people on a street in north-west Paris late Monday morning, according to French police and interior ministry officials. The attack occurred around 11:30 a.m. between the Les Deux Coupoles brasserie and the Porte de Clichy tram stop, a busy thoroughfare in the 17th arrondissement. A large security perimeter sealed off the area as emergency services transported the victims to hospital.

French police sources told Le Figaro that the injured are aged 19, 24 and 36. Two of them sustained wounds to the lower back and abdomen and were initially classified in a state of absolute emergency, though their lives are not in danger. The third victim’s injuries were less severe. Italian media reports, citing the newspaper Le Parisien, described all three victims as women, one of whom was pregnant. That detail has not been confirmed by French authorities, who have not publicly specified the gender of those hurt.

The suspect, a 31-year-old man, was spotted by an off-duty police officer as he assaulted passers-by. The officer called for reinforcements, followed the attacker, and helped a patrol crew detain him. In a video circulated on social media, the man, who appeared disoriented, is heard saying, “It is Allah who ordered me.” Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told reporters the suspect made “incoherent remarks” and that his declared identity has yet to be verified. A source close to the investigation described his profile as that of a “déséquilibré” — a deeply unstable individual.

The Paris judicial police’s first district has opened an investigation. The national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office said it is “observing the procedure conducted by the Paris prosecutor’s office” but has not assumed control of the case. Nunez stressed that he remains “very cautious about the motive for this violent act.” No further details about the suspect’s background or possible intent have been released, and authorities have not confirmed any link to extremist ideology.