French soldiers were hit and injured by a vehicle in the Western Paris suburb of levallois-perret (lovel-wa pe-re), Paris Police authorities said on Wednesday, adding that a security operation was underway in the area as they searched for the vehicle.

Six soldiers were hurt, four of them lightly and two more seriously, a police department official added.

Mayor Patrick Balkany said a BMW parked in an alley drove into the soldiers as they left their barracks to go on patrol duty.

Tags: French police, Paris, soldiers