UPDATE Paris police shoot attacker near Notre-Dame Cathedral

By Hajer M'tiri

PARIS (AA) - A major security operation is underway in Paris after a police officer shot and injured a man who attacked his colleague with a hammer near Notre-Dame Cathedral, according to media reports.

"Situation under control, a policeman was wounded, the perpetrator was neutralized and sent to a hospital," the Paris Police Prefecture said in a statement.

The entire area surrounding the landmark cathedral in the French capital has been sealed off.

Although the motive for the attack is as yet unknown, anti-terrorism prosecutors have opened an investigation.

According to media reports, the attacker took by the police officer by surprise in front of the Paris police headquarters and assaulted him with a hammer; another police officer responded by opening fire.

The Paris police headquarters is located opposite the Gothic landmark in the heart of the fourth arrondissement.

Around 900 tourists were kept locked inside the cathedral as a precaution, according to the authorities.

Notre Dame Cathedral is one of the most-visited monuments in Europe with an estimated 13.6 million visitors a year.