A Muslim man, originally from Kabul, Afghanistan, left in a coma after Tuesday's shooting in Strasbourg, has died, his brother told Euronews.

Kamal Naghchband was a 45-year-old mechanic who has three children, said his brother, Mokhtar Naghchband.

He lived in France for 18 years and had French nationality, he added.

"We are bereaved because our city of Strasbourg, an exemplary city in terms of living together, was hit hard by a murderous act," said Eyup Şahin, regional president of Strasbourg's Eyyûb Sultan Mosque, in a statement.

At around 20h CET on Tuesday a single gunman opened fire on a street near Strasbourg's famous Christmas market.

Two people died in the attack and another was declared brain dead, Paris prosecutor Remi Heitz said.

At least 12 people were wounded, six seriously.

The gunman, who is on the run, is on France's "fiche S" watchlist of individuals thought to pose a security risk to the country.

French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner announced that the country's "Vigipirate" security threat level would be raised in light of the attack.

Do you like what Euronews does? Click to sign up for our WhatsApp newsletter, a twice-daily selection of the top stories from around Europe. </s> Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption French police at the scene of the attack in Paris

A knifeman has killed one person and wounded four in a suspected terror attack in central Paris, French officials say.

The attacker was then shot dead by police in the Opéra district. Witnesses say they heard him shout "Allah Akbar".

So-called Islamic State (IS) later said one of its "soldiers" had carried out the attack on Saturday evening.

Judicial sources told French media the attacker was a man born in 1997 in the southern Russian republic of Chechnya.

The sources said his parents had been held for questioning.

Interior Minister Gérard Collomb said the victim of the attack was a 29-year-old man, but gave no further details.

French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted (in French): "France has once again paid in blood, but will not give an inch to the enemies of freedom."

How did the events unfold?

The attacker began stabbing passers-by at about 21:00 local time (19:00 GMT) on the rue Monsigny.

Eyewitnesses described him as a young man with brown hair and a beard, dressed in black tracksuit trousers.

The man tried to enter several bars and restaurants but was blocked by people inside. Police arrived at the scene within minutes.

They first tried to stop the assailant with a stun-gun before shooting him dead.

An eyewitness, named as Gloria, told AFP news agency: "We didn't know what was going on, we were quickly moved inside the bar, I went outside and I saw a man lying on the floor."

Image copyright AFP Image caption Forensic officers have been examining the scene of the attack

Jonathan, a waiter at a local restaurant, told AFP: "I saw him with a knife in his hand. He looked crazy."

He said a woman the attacker had stabbed ran into into the restaurant bleeding. The assailant tried to follow her inside, but was fended off and finally fled.

Two of the wounded in the attack are in a serious condition but do not have life-threatening injuries.

Later in the evening the IS group said it was behind the attack, in a brief statement posted on its news outlet.

How did French authorities react?

The anti-terrorism unit of the Paris prosecutor's office has launched an investigation.

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said police were on the scene five minutes after an emergency call and the attacker was killed "less than nine minutes later".

Mr Collomb praised police for their "cool response". He said his first thoughts were "with the victims of this heinous act".

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo tweeted (in French): "Tonight, our city was bruised."

"I want to tell them that all Parisians are on their side," she added.

Image copyright AFP Image caption The Opera district is renowned for its nightlife

How has France been countering security threats?

France has been on high alert following a series of attacks. More than 230 people have been killed by IS-inspired jihadists in the past three years.

The deadliest violence occurred on 13 November 2015, when gunmen and suicide bombers struck various venues in Paris almost simultaneously - killing a total 130 people.

After winning last year's elections, President Macron pledged that fighting Islamist terrorism would be his top foreign policy priority.

Defeating IS in Iraq and Syria must go hand-in-hand with anti-terror measures in Africa, he said.
A Frenchman originally from Afghanistan who was wounded and left brain-dead from the attack dies from his injuries.