PARIS

Two people were killed and five others injured Saturday morning by an attacker wielding a knife. Two of the injured are said to be in serious condition.

The incident, unforeseen by shoppers simply out buying food and essentials for the week, occurred in the southeastern French town of Romans-sur-Isere.

The town of 50,000 -- a commune in the Drome department -- is on lockdown along with the rest of the country in the battle against the coronavirus.

The assailant first approached shoppers at a bakery around 11.00 a.m. (0900GMT) and struck at random at several other places around town before being arrested.

The motivation for the attack has yet to be determined, but security services at the location are working on the case.

The attacker, 33, was self-identified as a Sudanese origin refugee, according to local reports.

Interior Minister Christophe Castaner visited the city in the afternoon with an entourage of security, and tweeted: "All my thoughts are with the victims of #RomanssurIsere attack and their families."