Three women were injured in a knife attack near Porte de Clichy in Paris after a man armed with two large kitchen knives allegedly assaulted pedestrians before being overpowered by bystanders and detained by an off-duty police officer. French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez confirmed that the victims were aged 19, 24 and 36, with two sustaining serious injuries. French media reported that one of the victims was pregnant. Authorities have launched an investigation while examining the motive behind the attack.

According to officials, the suspect attacked the women on a public street using two kitchen knives before members of the public intervened. A video circulating on social media, later verified by Reuters, shows a man with long black hair wearing a cream-coloured tracksuit holding a knife in each hand while attempting to attack a young woman. It remains unclear from the footage whether the woman shown in the video was injured during the incident.

Another section of the verified video shows the suspect lying on the ground after being restrained by bystanders, with the two knives visible nearby on a pedestrian crossing. Witnesses reported that the man repeatedly made religious references while being restrained. French authorities have not confirmed whether those statements were linked to the motive for the attack and said the suspect's remarks appeared incoherent during his arrest.

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One of the eyewitnesses, Mohamed-Ali Bouhadjar, told Reuters that he began shouting for help after seeing the suspect stab a woman in the back. Several passers-by joined in to stop the attacker, with one person reportedly throwing a suitcase at him, causing him to drop the knives. Bouhadjar said he then tackled the suspect, allowing others to pin him to the ground until police arrived.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez praised the off-duty police officer who took the suspect into custody, describing the intervention as a courageous act. Authorities said the suspect's identity has not yet been established and investigators are working to verify his background. Police have also not released the identities of the victims, who continue to receive medical treatment following the attack.

The motive behind the stabbing remains under investigation. Nunez said investigators have not yet determined why the attack occurred, while France's National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office is assessing whether the circumstances warrant opening a terrorism-related investigation. Officials said further details will be released as the investigation progresses.

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