French police are hunting for at least one suspect after a knife attack near Lyon that left one dead and several others injured. An official with the Lyon regional administration told The Associated Press that one suspected assailant was detained and at least one other suspect in the attack on Saturday was on the run.

The official wouldn't give details and says the motive for the violence in the suburb of Villeurbanne is unknown. He says national security forces aren't involved in the search, which is being conducted by a few dozen local police officers and a helicopter.

Local police unions said it's too soon to know of any reason to suspect terror.

French police secure the area after one person was found dead and six others wounded in a suspected knife attack in Villeurbanne, near Lyon, central France, August 31, 2019. EMMANUEL FOUDROT / REUTERS

France remains on high alert after Islamic extremist attacks in 2015 and 2016.

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The regional official couldn't be named because of French government policy.