Police shoot attacker outside Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris

PARIS — An assailant wielding a hammer attacked Paris police guarding Notre Dame Cathedral Tuesday, crying “This is for Syria” before being shot and wounded by officers outside one of France’s most popular tourist sites, authorities said.

At least 600 people were blocked inside the iconic 12th century church while police first secured the streets around it, then combed the pews while visitors sat with their hands raised for the check.

The assault was the latest act of violence targeting security forces at high-profile sites in France, which remains under a state of emergency after a string of Islamic extremist attacks.

Interior Minister Gerard Collomb told reporters that a police officer in a three-person patrol was lightly wounded in the attack and that the assailant was shot and wounded by a fellow officer.

“A person came up behind the police officers, armed with a hammer, and started to hit the police officer,” he said.

People inside Notre Dame, the nearby Sainte-Chapelle, a nearby chapel noted for its stained glass, and area bars and cafes were told to stay inside while the police operation was under way.