French anti-terrorism judges charged two men with "association with terrorist criminals" on Friday for their suspected role in providing the weapon used by a gunman to attack soldiers at Paris' Orly airport on March 18.

The two men, aged 30 and 43, were taken into custody earlier this week. The younger suspect was also charged with possession of a weapon in connection with a terrorism plot.

Ziyed Ben Belgacem shot and injured a police officer with a pistol at a routine traffic stop and then attacked a soldier at Orly airport before being shot dead by other soldiers.

The 39-year-old French national reportedly said he wanted to die for Allah as he held a pistol to a female soldier's head and took her military-grade rifle.

"Put your weapons down, hands on your heads. I'm here to die for Allah. In any case, people are going to die," Belgacem told two other soldiers on patrol, according to prosecutors.

The female soldier then dropped to her knees, allowing two of her colleagues to shoot the assailant.

French authorities are investigating the attack as a possible act of terrorism.

Watch video 00:35 Terror 'likely' motive in Paris airport attack

cw/kl (dpa, EFE)