Knifeman kills two women in Marseille railway station 'terror' attack

Two women have been killed by a knifeman in a terror attack at Marseille's main train station.

The man was then shot dead by soldiers who were patrolling inside the Saint Charles railway station.

The victims were reportedly aged 17 and 20. One had her throat cut while the other was stabbed in the stomach, it is believed.

Islamic State's propaganda arm put out a statement claiming it was behind Sunday's attack.

The scene has been sealed off and police have asked people to avoid the area.

A witness said she saw a man take out a knife from his sleeve and then stab a young girl and then a second woman before shouting "Allahu Akbar" (God is Greatest).

Officers stand guard outside the train station

Pierre-Jean, who was in a shop with his family next to where the attack happened, described a scene of "total panic" before security forces arrived.

He said: "We were taken out (of the shop) but the police, I was surprised, intervened very, very quickly, a first team then security forces arrived regularly after that and in numbers. At that point we felt safe."

Reports said the attacker was in his 20s and of North African appearance.

The atrocity comes as France is still on high alert following a string of terror attacks since January 2015, when jihadist gunmen stormed the offices of the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, killing 12.

The government has since launched Operation Sentinelle, deploying about 7,000 troops across the country to guard high-risk areas such as transport hubs, tourist sites and religious buildings.

After the stabbings in Marseille, anti-terror prosecutors said they had opened an investigation into "killings linked to a terrorist organisation" and the "attempted killing of a public official".

(SKYNEWS)