A man has been shot dead at the Paris' Orly airport after taking a soldier's gun on Saturday, France's Interior Minister said.

The Interior Ministry said that the unidentified man tried to seize a French soldier's firearm and shots were fired by security forces in the ensuing altercation.

The man fled into a shop at the airport before he was shot dead, an interior ministry spokesman said. He said there were no people were wounded in the incident.

The National Police have confirmed on Twitter that a special operation is underway. The area has been cordoned off and the site has been evacuated, witnesses said.

Interior Minister Bruno Le Roux is due to visit the facility, which is in Paris' southern outskirts

"We had queued up to check in for the Tel Aviv flight when we heard three or four shots nearby," witness Franck Lecam told AFP.

"The whole airport has been evacuated," the 54-year-old said, confirming what an airport worker, speaking on condition of anonymity, had said earlier.

"We are all outside the airport, about 200 metres from the entrance," Lecam said.

"There are policemen, emergency workers and soldiers everywhere in all directions. A security official told us that it happened near gates 37-38 where Turkish Airlines flights were scheduled

source : gulfnews