Updated 5pm

A car rammed into a group of soldiers in a Parisian suburb this morning, injuring six before speeding off in what its mayor called a deliberate act.

Levallois-Perret Mayor Patrick Balkany said the car, a BMW, was parked in an alley before it accelerated into the soldiers as they left their barracks to go on patrol duty.

Police said two of the six were seriously injured.

Speaking to broadcaster BFM TV, Balkany said that what he called a "disgusting" act of aggression was "without any doubt" premeditated.

"It all happened very quickly. The vehicle did not stop. It hurtled at them ... it accelerated rapidly." The soldiers were rushed to hospital, he added.

The suspect was subsequently arrested on the highway between Paris and Boulogne-sur-Mer following an extensive manhunt," Prime Minister Edouard Philippe told lawmakers during parliament question time. 

Terrorism investigation

A source in the judiciary said French counter-terrorist investigators have been asked to probe the incident. 

France remains on maximum alert after a string of attacks in which Islamist militants or Islamist-inspired attackers have killed more than 230 people over the past two years.

Police and soldiers secure the scene. Photo: Reuters

The car used in the incident was parked on the edge of the Place de Verdun square in the centre of Levallois, which is situated on the western edge of Paris.

The area, quieter than normal in peak summer holiday season, was cordoned off after the incident, which happened at around 8.00am, police said.

Levallois-Perret is about 5 km (3 miles) from city centre landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and the Elysee Presidential Palace.