SO-CALLED Islamic State has claimed responsibility for a central Paris shooting which left a police officer dead and two others seriously wounded.

The officers were gunned down in the central boulevard of the Champs-Élysée at around 9pm local time.

The attacker was shot dead as he tried to run away.

IS's  Amaq news agency identified the attacker as one of its soldiers naming him as Abu Yousif, a Belgian.

President Hollande who called  emergency security meeting said that he was convinced the attack was "terrorist-related".

Glasgow Times:

Anti-terrorist prosecutors indicated that the motive is believed to have been terrorism, and the attacker was known to the intelligence services, security sources said.   

According to BFMTV news channel the killer had talked of wanting to kill police officers on the Telegram messaging service.

"On the face of it, the officers were deliberately targeted," interior ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet told France's BFMTV news channel.

The attacker armed with a Kalashnikov parked his Audi behind a police van, then got out and opened fire on the vehicle, according to a witness called Chelloug who said he heard six shots.

He said: "I thought they were firecrackers. In fact, he (the gunman) was hidden behind the van and shooting at the police. I think he hit a policeman. As soon as the policeman opened the door of the van, he fell."

Security forces are believed to have moved to searching the home of the dead gunman in the east of Paris.

Glasgow Times:

An interior ministry spokesman said it was too early to say what the motive was for the attack.

But local police said the shooting was “very probably a terrorist act” and advised people to avoid the area.

The incident comes days ahead of the French election, which is to take place Sunday.

Islamist militancy is a major issue in the polls after mass attacks claimed by so-called Islamic State.

Police say the officer who was killed was in a car which had been stopped at a red light by the attacker.

Media had initially reported that at least two attackers were involved.

French media were reporting two shots were fired in the incident near a Marks and Spencer store and it is believed one of the attackers is still at large.

A witness identified only as Ines told French television station BFM that she heard a shooting, saw a man's body on the ground and the area was quickly evacuated by police.

US President Donald Trump said the Paris shooting "looks like another terrorist attack" and sent condolences to France.

"What can you say? It never ends," he added.

"It just never ends. We have to be strong and we have to be vigilant, and I have been saying it for a long time."

BREAKING: Trump says Paris shooting "looks like another terrorist attack", says U.S. sends condolences to France https://t.co/m5oRWSg2Ns pic.twitter.com/GOsBUT9s9C

— CNBC Now (@CNBCnow) April 20, 2017

Pierre-Henry Brandet, the interior ministry spokesman, confirmed an attacker was shot dead by police and the area remains cordoned off.

A car stopped near a police van before the attack and was found abandoned. It was suspected that the gunman used it to reach the scene of the attack.

Mr Brandet said a robbery may have been carried out at the same time as the attack. It was unclear if the two were linked. 

He said several Métro stations had been closed while police make sure the area is safe.

Ambulances and police vans were seen parked in the middle of the Champs-Elysées near the Arc de Triomphe, with their blue lights flashing, and forensics officers were also at the scene.

Yvan Assioma of the police union Alliance said:  "The exact circumstances are still unclear but I can confirm the tragic death of one of our colleagues.

Glasgow Times:

"Our thoughts are very much with the family. One or several attackers have been shot dead by the police. Some officers were hit but the bullets were stopped by their bulletproof vests, but two were hit.

"Nothing is being ruled out for the time being, terrorism or a criminal act."

France has lived under a state of emergency since 2015 and has suffered a spate of Islamist militant attacks that have killed more than 230 people in the past two years.

The attack came three days before the first round of balloting in France's tense presidential election

Earlier this week, two men were arrested in Marseille who police said  had been planning an attack ahead of the election.

A machine gun, two hand guns and three kilos of TATP explosive were among the weapons found at a flat in the southern city along with jihadist propaganda materials according to the Paris prosecutor.