French police officer murdered by attacker claiming allegiance to Daesh

The knife-wielding perpetrator attacked the police officer then took the his partner and their son hostage in their home in Magnanville, near Paris, the BBC reports.

Witnesses reportedly claim that the man may have shouted "Allahu akbar" (God is greater) when he attacked the policeman outside his home.

The attacker then went inside the house and took a woman and child hostage.

The partner was found dead but the child was rescued.

French prosecutors have launched an anti-terror investigation, AFP news agency reports.

French President Francois Hollande said a meeting would be held at the Elysee palace on Tuesday morning to discuss the incident.

The attacker is reported to have claimed allegiance to Daesh while talking to police negotiators.

Interior ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet said France's elite police Raid unit was brought in after the officer's killer took hostages at around 20:00 CET.

“Negotiations had been unsuccessful and a decision had been made to launch an assault at about midnight,” he said.