Eight young children and an adult were wounded on Thursday in a mass stabbing in the town of Annecy in the French Alps.

A man armed with a knife reportedly attacked the group at 9.45am local time on Thursday as the children, who are all around three-years-old, were playing in a park near the lake in the town, according to reports.

Three children are in a life-threatening condition following the attack, said police.

They were reportedly on a school trip to the park.

The suspect in the attack told police he was a Syrian asylum seeker, a police source told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The suspected attacker’s identity is being verified and has not been confirmed, according to the source, who added that he is thought to be unknown to security services.