There was an assault on five people in the second arrondissement of the French capital by an individual armed with a knife, the Paris police headquarters tweeted Saturday night, Xinhua reported.

"One victim died, two are seriously injured and two are slightly injured," said the Paris police headquarters, adding that the attacker had been killed by the police.

The identity and motivation of the perpetrator remain unknown, as well as the identities of the victims. The wounded were transported to a hospital in Paris, according to the police source.

The crime site, near the Paris Opera, has been cordoned off by police.