Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Aftermath of Paris mosque 'attack'

A man has been arrested in Paris after trying to drive his vehicle into a crowd outside a mosque, police say.

The incident took place at about 18:30 local time (16:30 GMT) in the suburb of Créteil and no-one was hurt.

The man was apparently thwarted by barriers put up to protect the mosque.

The suspect's motives remain unclear but Le Parisien newspaper reported that he was of Armenian origin and had said he wanted to avenge Islamist-linked attacks in Paris.

Europe has seen a number of vehicle attacks in the past year, many by those claiming allegiance to IS.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Police secure the mosque at Créteil after the alleged ramming incident

A police statement said the suspect's 4x4 vehicle repeatedly struck bollards and barriers designed to protect the mosque in the south-eastern suburb of the French capital.

The car sped off but crashed and the man fled before being arrested shortly afterwards.

He did not appear to be acting under the influence of drugs or alcohol, Le Parisien said.

It reported that the suspect had said he wanted to avenge attacks on the Bataclan theatre and Champs-Élysées, both linked to so-called Islamic State.

France remains under a state of emergency, in place since attacks on the capital in November 2015, including at the Bataclan theatre, claimed 130 lives.

In April, a gunman killed police officer Xavier Jugelé on the Champs-Élysées before being shot dead. A note defending IS was found near his body.

Timeline: Vehicle ramming attacks in Europe</s>Police say no one was injured and driver was arrested after incident in front of mosque in Paris suburb.

A man has been arrested after he tried to drive a car into a crowd in front of a mosque in the Paris suburb of Creteil, police said.

The man did not succeed in reaching the crowd because of barriers in front of the mosque, police said in a statement before adding that no one was was injured in Thursday's incident which took place around 6:30pm local time (16:30 GMT).

An investigation, to be carried out by a regular police department rather than an anti-terrorism unit, would determine if the man could be held accountable for his actions, the statement said.

Police said the motive behind the actions were unclear but Le Parisien newspaper said the man wanted to avenge ISIL-linked attacks in France.

Last week, six people, including two children were injured when a car ploughed into a crowd of Muslim worshippers as they left a sports centre after offering Eid al-Fitr prayers in the northern English city of Newcastle.

Earlier this month, a man drove a van at Muslim worshippers leaving a mosque in London. He was charged with terrorism-related murder and attempted murder.

One person was killed and at least 10 others wounded in the attack outside London's Finsbury Park mosque.

The driver was grabbed at the scene by some of the Muslim worshippers and pinned down until police arrived, while others did what they could to help the wounded.

After being seized, the suspect said he had wanted to kill "many Muslim people", one witness told journalists.

Thursday's incident in Creteil happened as French religious sites and other public places remain under high security after a string of attacks.

France has been in a state of emergency, which gives sweeping powers to the police, since November 2015, when at least 130 people were killed in coordinated attacks.

The country has suffered several attacks since then, including a truck-ramming assault that killed at least 86 people in Nice last year.

France's President Emmanuel Macron is seeking to extend the country's state of emergency until at least November 1, according to a statement from the president's office.

He has also asked his government to prepare draft legislation to reinforce security measures permanently beyond the state of emergency.</s>A man was arrested after trying to drive a car into a crowd in front of a mosque in the Paris suburb of Créteil on Thursday, police said, adding that no one was injured.

The man’s motives were unclear, and he had not succeeded in reaching the crowd because of barriers in front of the mosque, police said in a statement.

An investigation, to be carried out by a regular police department rather than an anti-terrorism unit, would determine if the man could be held accountable for his actions.

According to Le Parisien newspaper, the man said he had wanted to avenge attacks linked to Islamic State that have killed dozens in Paris over the past years.

Last week, a man drove a van at Muslim worshippers leaving a mosque in London. He was charged with terrorism-related murder and attempted murder.</s>Police secure a mosque in Creteil near Paris, France June 29, 2017 after a man was arrested after trying to drive a car into a crowd in front of the mosque.

PARIS (Reuters) - A man was arrested after trying to drive a car into a crowd in front of a mosque in the Paris suburb of Creteil on Thursday, police said, adding that no one was injured.

The man's motives were unclear, and he had not succeeded in reaching the crowd because of barriers in front of the mosque, police said in a statement.

An investigation, to be carried out by a regular police department rather than an anti-terrorism unit, would determine if the man could be held accountable for his actions.

According to Le Parisien newspaper, the man said he had wanted to avenge attacks linked to Islamic State that have killed dozens in Paris over the past years.

Last week, a man drove a van at Muslim worshippers leaving a mosque in London. He was charged with terrorism-related murder and attempted murder.</s>Créteil (France): A man drove his vehicle into barriers protecting a mosque in the Paris suburbs Thursday, forcing worshippers to dodge out of the way, police officials said.

Muslim community leaders described the incident, which injured no one, as an “attempted attack” and an “Islamophobic act”.

It came nearly two weeks after a man rammed a van into worshippers outside a mosque in London, leaving one man dead.

The 4X4 vehicle on Thursday “struck pillars and barriers in place to protect the Creteil mosque”, in the southeast of the capital, before speeding off and crashing into a traffic island, police said.

Karim Benaissa, president of Muslim groups in Creteil, said: “It was at the end of prayers, we were coming out and we saw this car driving towards the mosque.”“Some of the worshippers had to dodge the car. If it had happened a few seconds later, it would have been far worse.”

The driver, who was also the owner of the vehicle, fled but was arrested “without incident” at his home shortly afterwards, police added.

A search was made of the driver’s home, a person close to the investigation said, adding that the suspect had made “confused remarks in relation” to a string of jihadist attacks that have struck France, killing 239 people since 2015.

The man is a 43-year-old Armenian who will undergo psychiatric tests, another person close to the investigation said.

According to judicial authorities, he was not under the influence of alcohol.

French interior minister Gerard Collomb said in a statement that his “exact motives” will be determined by an investigation.

Paris police prefect Michel Delpuech said he was “doing everything possible... to clarify the motives of the driver and determine if he is criminally responsible”.

In a statement, the rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris, Dalil Boubakeur, described the incident as a “criminal attack” and an “Islamophobic act”.

“What has just happened in Creteil seems to justify the fears I expressed after the attack close to Finsbury Park Mosque in London,” the head of the National Observatory Against Islamophobia, Abdallah Zekri, told AFP.

He called for “more vigilance on the part of mosque officials”, and called on the authorities to “strengthen protection of places of worship”.

On 19 June, a man driving a van mowed down worshippers leaving the Finsbury Park Mosque in north London.

The family of Darren Osborne, the man suspected of deliberately driving into the Muslim group, said he was “troubled”, while regulars at his local pub said he was thrown out for threatening to kill Muslims.</s>A man has been arrested in Paris after trying to drive his vehicle into a crowd outside a mosque, police say.

The incident took place at about 18:30 local time (16:30 GMT) in the suburb of Créteil and no-one was hurt.

The man was apparently thwarted by barriers put up to protect the mosque.

The suspect's motives remain unclear but Le Parisien newspaper reported that he was of Armenian origin and had said he wanted to avenge Islamist-linked attacks in Paris.

Europe has seen a number of vehicle attacks in the past year, many by those claiming allegiance to IS.

A police statement said the suspect's 4x4 vehicle repeatedly struck bollards and barriers designed to protect the mosque in the south-eastern suburb of the French capital.

The car sped off but crashed and the man fled before being arrested shortly afterwards.

He did not appear to be acting under the influence of drugs or alcohol, Le Parisien said.

It reported that the suspect had said he wanted to avenge attacks on the Bataclan theatre and Champs-Élysées, both linked to so-called Islamic State.

France remains under a state of emergency, in place since attacks on the capital in November 2015, including at the Bataclan theatre, claimed 130 lives.

In April, a gunman killed police officer Xavier Jugelé on the Champs-Élysées before being shot dead. A note defending IS was found near his body.
• 14 July 2016, Nice, France: A man drove a lorry for 2km (1.2 miles) through a large crowd gathered to watch Bastille Day fireworks in Nice. Eighty-six people were killed, and more than 300 injured
• 19 December 2016, Berlin, Germany: A man drove a lorry through the crowded Breitscheidplatz Christmas market, killing 12 people and injuring 49. IS said one of its "soldiers" carried out the attack
• 22 March 2017, London, UK: Six people died and at least 50 were injured when a car mounted the pavement on London's Westminster Bridge and drove at high speed through pedestrians. The attacker then entered the parliament complex on foot and fatally stabbed a police officer, before being shot
• April 7 2017, Stockholm, Sweden: Four people were killed when a lorry crashed into the front of a department store. The Uzbek driver was arrested and confessed to a "terrorist crime"
• 3 June 2017, London, UK: Eight people were killed when three attackers drove a van into pedestrians on London Bridge and launched a knife attack in Borough Market. The attackers were shot dead
• 19 June 2017, London, UK: A man was arrested on suspicion of terror offences after he drove a van into a group of worshippers close to a mosque in north London. One man died</s>French police arrested a man who attempted to drive a car into a group of people in front of a mosque in Créteil, a suburb of Paris.

Witnesses saw the man try and fail to drive over roadside barriers to reach the area directly in front of the mosque on Thursday evening. He did not injure anyone with the vehicle and fled the scene after hitting a median, according to a statement from French police.

The statement said police apprehended the man at his home and will determine the suspect's motivations before deciding his criminal responsibility. French newspaper Le Parisien identified him as 43 years old, and reported he said he wanted to "avenge the Bataclan and the Champs-Elysees," referring to recent attacks in Paris by Islamist terrorists.

Earlier this month, one person died and nine others were injured when a man rammed his van into pedestrians outside a mosque in London .</s>CRETEIL, France: A man was arrested after he drove his vehicle into barriers protecting a mosque in the Paris suburbs Thursday, police said, with Muslim officials describing the incident as an “attempted attack”.

The 4X4 vehicle “struck pillars and barriers in place to protect the mosque of Creteil”, in the southeast of the capital, before speeding off and crashing into a traffic island, police said. No-one was injured.

The driver, who was also the owner of the vehicle, fled but was arrested “without incident” at his home shortly afterwards, police added.

A search was conducted Thursday night at the driver’s home, a source close to the investigation said, adding that the suspect had made “confused remarks in relation” to a string of jihadist attacks that have struck France, killing 239 people since 2015.

The man is a 43-year-old Armenian who will be subject to psychiatric tests, another source close to the investigation said.

According to judicial authorities, he was not under the influence of alcohol.

French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said in a statement that his “exact motives” will be determined by an investigation.

Paris police prefect Michel Delpuech said he was “doing everything possible… to clarify the motives of the driver and determine if he is criminally responsible”.

In a statement, the rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris, Dalil Boubakeur, described the incident as a “criminal attack” and an “Islamophobic act”.

“What has just happened in Creteil seems to justify the fears I expressed after the attack close to Finsbury Park Mosque in London,” the head of the National Observatory Against Islamophobia, Abdallah Zekri, told AFP.

He called for “more vigilance on the part of mosque officials”, and called on the authorities to “strengthen protection of places of worship”.

On June 19, a man driving a van mowed down worshippers leaving the Finsbury Park Mosque in north London.

The family of Darren Osborne, the man suspected of deliberately driving into the Muslim group, said he was “troubled”, while regulars at his local pub said he was thrown out for threatening to kill Muslims. – AFP</s>A man has been arrested in a Paris suburb after trying to drive a car into a crowd in front of a mosque on June 29.

Police said no one was injured by the incident in the Paris suburb of Creteil and that the man’s motives were unclear.

But Le Parisien newspaper reported that the man said he wanted to avenge attacks linked to Islamic State (IS) militants in recent years that have killed scores of people in Paris.

Police said the driver did not succeed in driving into the crowd because of barriers placed in front of the mosque.

On June 19, a driver in a van ran over worshippers as they were leaving a mosque in the Finsbury Park area of north London, killing one man and injuring 11.

The driver, 47-year-old Darren Osborne, was charged with terrorism-related murder and attempted murder.

Prosecutors in London said Osborne was “motivated by extreme political views and a personal hatred of Muslims.”

Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP</s>Ramdas Wagah, the man who faked his own death, is on the run
A man attempts to run over pedestrians outside a mosque in Créteil, France.