French policeman stabbed during gas canister car arrest

The authorities had been in a "race against time", French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said

A policeman in France has been stabbed during an operation to arrest three women in connection with a car found with gas canisters near Paris' famous Notre Dame cathedral last Sunday.

Police opened fire after the stabbing in Boussy-Saint-Antoine, south-east of Paris, wounding one of the women.

Officials said the suspects were "radicalised" and appeared to have been preparing an immediate attack.

In November, 130 people died in Paris in attacks by so-called Islamic State.

A state of emergency has been in place in France since then. 

The Peugeot 607 was found early on Sunday on the Quai de Montebello, just metres from the cathedral which attracts millions of tourists every year. 

The car had its hazard warning lights flashing and no number plates, police said

Notre Dame Cathedral is one of Paris's most popular tourist attractions

Documents with writing in Arabic were also found in the car, police said. 

One of the canisters, on the front passenger seat, was empty, and there were no detonating devices inside.

A man on the terrorism watch list was arrested on Wednesday as well as an associate of the car's owner.

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said the three women arrested on Thursday - aged 39, 23 and 19 - "had been radicalised, were fanatics and were in all likelihood preparing an imminent, violent act".

Investigators, Mr Cazeneuve said, had been in a "race against time".

One of those arrested is reportedly the daughter of the car owner who had already been questioned.

According to French media, the car owner was on an intelligence watch-list.

Source: BBC