Marseille stabbing rampage injures five, attacker neutralized by police

French police shot and killed a man who went on a stabbing rampage at a hotel in the southern city of Marseille on Tuesday, injuring at least five people.

Local prosecutor Nicolas Bessone confirmed that the assailant, a Tunisian national with legal residency, was "neutralized" by police after his attack.

According to authorities, the incident began after the man was expelled from a hotel for failing to pay his rent. He returned armed with two knives and a baton, first attacking a person in a room he had previously occupied. He then assaulted the hotel manager and the manager's son, stabbing the son in the back.

The attacker continued his rampage into a nearby snack bar and in the streets, attempting to injure people at random before he was confronted by police. One of the victims is in critical condition.

The investigation is in its early stages and the motive for the attack is not yet known. French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau was expected to travel to Marseille later in the day.

The port city has been the site of a long-running turf war between rival drug gangs, which has intensified in recent years.