Gerald Darmanin, French Interior Minister, said the reason behind the attack with a meat cleaver near the former offices of Charlie Hebdo magazine, which injured two citizens, could be cartoons of Prophet Mohammed published by the magazine, reported AFP.

An 18-year-old man, who was born in Pakistan, is suspected of staging the attack three weeks into the trial of suspected accomplices in the 2015 massacre of the newspaper’s staff, a source close to the investigation said on Saturday.

“The man said during questioning he places his actions in the context of the republication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in Charlie Hebdo,” the source said.

The French PNAT specialist anti-terror prosecution office on Friday stated that they had to open a probe into charges of attempted murder related to a terrorist enterprise against him as well as “conspiracy with terrorists.”

The Premieres Lignes news production agency said the wounded were its employees a man and a woman taking a cigarette break outside. The company specialises in investigative reports and produces the prize-winning Cash Investigation programme.

The Seven people held by the French police in connection to the attack include the former flatmate of the main suspect, the source confirmed.

While describing the suspect, shopkeepers used the terms discreet and polite.

He was very polite. I often saw him sitting on the landing with his telephone. He helped me carry my groceries,” said one neighbour, who identified herself Josiane.

The magazine received fresh threats from Al-Qaeda this month after it republished the controversial cartoons.

More than 100 French news outlets on Wednesday called for continuing support for Charlie Hebdo against what they described as the “enemies of freedom”.