Two people holding replica guns sparked a panic at Paris' main Charles de Gaulle airport on Wednesday before they were quickly arrested, sources close to the investigation said.

Passengers were evacuated from Terminal 2 for around 45 minutes after the incident at 8.30am (0730 GMT).

A passenger had raised the alarm saying they had seen "two adults who did not speak French with weapons in a case", one source said.

"There was a wave of panic in Terminal 2 when people saw the weapons."

A police source said border police had detained the pair.

A security perimeter was quickly set up, while a bomb squad had already been at the scene dealing with an abandoned bag.

The guns were believed to be "airsoft" pistols, replica weapons used for sport. 

French airport authorities consider those carrying them to be "armed", an airport source said.

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