Latest: Paris attacker who was flagged for extremism dies from burns
The driver who rammed a car carrying explosives into a police convoy on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris has died after the "attempted attack" on security forces, France's interior minister said.
Gerard Collomb told reporters that the man's motives were not immediately clear.
Bomb squad officers are at the scene on the city's most famous avenue, which is popular with tourists.
France's anti-terrorism prosecutor has opened an investigation into the incident.
No police officers or passers-by were hurt, the Paris police department said.
Two police officials said that a handgun was found on the driver, who they said was badly burned after the vehicle exploded.
Visitors to an art exhibit of Auguste Rodin's works in central Paris were confined inside the Grand Palais for an hour after the attack.
Victoria Boucher and daughter Chrystel came in from the suburb of Cergy-Pontoise for a Paris visit and were not afraid to go to the famed avenue.
Chrystel said that "we were better off inside than outside".
But both agreed, as the mother said, "unfortunately we now are used to this".
"The show must go on," the daughter said in English. "They won't win."
The attacker was a 31-year-old man from a Paris suburb who had been flagged for extremism, police officials said.
They identified the man as from the suburb of Argenteuil, and said he had an "S'' file, which means authorities had been aware of potential links to extremism.
The interior minister said the incident shows the threat is still very high in the country and justifies the state of emergency.
Mr Collomb said he will present a bill on Wednesday at a cabinet meeting to extend the state of emergency from July 15, its current expiration date, until November 1.
He said the current situation in France shows a new security law "is needed" and the measure would "maintain a high security level" beyond the end of the state of emergency.
France has been under a state of emergency since the November 2015 attacks by Islamic extremists in Paris.
A driver who rammed a car carrying explosives into a police convoy on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris has died after the "attempted attack" on security forces, France's interior minister said.
Bomb squad officers are at the scene on the city's most famous avenue, which is popular with tourists.
Two police officials said that a handgun was found on the driver, who they said was badly burned after the vehicle exploded.
France's anti-terrorism prosecutor has opened an investigation into the incident.
France is under a state of emergency after a string of deadly Islamic extremist attacks.
Eric Favereau, a journalist for Liberation newspaper who was driving a scooter behind the gendarmes, said he saw a car blocking the convoy's path, then an implosion in the vehicle.
Mr Favereau wrote that the gendarmes smashed open the windows of the car while it was in flames and dragged out its occupant.
Other gendarmes used fire extinguishers to put out the flames.
The attacker on the Champs-Elysees in Paris is "most probably" dead and the bomb squad is on the scene, a French security official said.
France's anti-terrorism prosecutor has opened an investigation into the incident.
Police had earlier warned people to avoid the neighbourhood, one of the French capital's most popular with tourists.
Interior ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet said the driver, whose car exploded as he tried to ram a police vehicle, is "most probably" dead.
Mr Brandet said bomb squads were still securing the scene. He said the attacker appeared to have acted deliberately.
#ChampsElysees - Info LePoint.fr : l'assaillant est mort. Ce que l'on sait >> https://t.co/cliqJMMzlY pic.twitter.com/OC2EkxYhbz
— Le Point (@LePoint) June 19, 2017
Le silence entre le Rond Point des #ChampsElysees et Concorde est impressionnant. Circulation stoppée.
— Louis M 🇨🇵 (@louis_m75) June 19, 2017
Ambiance des mauvais jours. pic.twitter.com/PwTPXeoRKd
The public are being advised to avoid the area.
It is unclear why the attacker, who has been arrested, drove into the police.
The French national gendarmerie service said no-one was hurt in the incident.
#Paris. Opération de police aux #ChampsElysées, un homme interpellé | via @ouestfrance https://t.co/LUDqF2cwTa pic.twitter.com/1TCrmmH5hX
— David Dupré (@DavidDupr) June 19, 2017
#ChampsElysees: fifth time in four months that security forces are targeted in attack in #france. Anti terror investigation now opened
— Melissa Bell (@MelissaBellCNN) June 19, 2017
More as we get it.
