The 40-year-old suspect, a French citizen born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, was quickly arrested by other soldiers on the scene at Gare de l'Est after the late Monday attack.

He had previously been confined to psychiatric care after knifing a 22-year-old man to death in 2018 at another major Paris interchange.

A court at the time said he was too ill to be held responsible for his actions, with an evaluation finding he likely suffered from schizophrenia.

He also has two past convictions for domestic violence.

The injured soldier was under observation in hospital after being struck in the shoulder but was not in a serious condition, army spokesman Guillaume Vernet told AFP Tuesday.

The soldier was part of France's "Operation Sentinelle", in which squads of troops patrol sensitive sites around the country to protect against potential terrorist attacks.

Launched in the wake of the 2015 massacre at satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo's Paris newsroom, its soldiers have themselves since been targeted in several attacks, including with knives.