Four toddlers wounded in knife attack in French Alps

Four toddlers and two pensioners were stabbed in a knife attack in the tranquil French mountain town of Annecy on Thursday and the government said the suspected assailant was a Syrian refugee.

A video of the attack, taken by a bystander and verified by Reuters, showed the assailant jump a low wall into a children's playground and repeatedly lunge at a child in a stroller, pushing aside a woman who tries to fend him off.

Two of the wounded children and one adult were in hospital in a life-threatening condition, while the other victims were less seriously hurt.

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said the suspected attacker, who was in police custody, was a 31-year-old Syrian national who was granted asylum in Sweden 10 years ago. He had entered France legally, she said, and was carrying Swedish identity documents and a Swedish driving licence.

The local prosecutor leading the investigation said there was no indication that terrorism was the assailant's motivation. He was under investigation for attempted murder.