A woman in France has been labelled a "hero" after she used her own body to shield children during yesterday's knife attack in France.

The woman lept in front of a buggy as the attacker lunged towards an innocent child during the mass stabbing in the French Alps, eyewitnesses have said. The man attacked four children and two adults at a park in Annecy on Thursday, with a 31-year-old suspect now in police custody. Videos from Thursday's incident now also show a bystander using his backpack the fend off the attacker as he chased the suspect around the playground. The horrific incident occurred at around 9:45 am on Thursday morning at a playground in Annecy, south-eastern France. It was originally reported that eight children were injured but it has since been updated to four children and one adult. The children are all said to be just three years old. [caption id="attachment_429465" align="alignnone" width="2048"] Credit: Getty[/caption] Sadly, police have reported that two of the children and the adult assaulted are all in life-threatening conditions at a nearby hospital. The Interior Ministry said Abdalmash H has legal refugee status in France after arriving in the country last year. A video is circling social media showing the man being pinned against a wall by police officers. It also shows terrified parents running from the playground and screaming "run, run". Witnesses at the scene said the knifeman began attacking the preschool children while they were playing and caused absolute "carnage". One witness said: "The man was shouting in English, and caused absolute panic when he started attacking the little ones.

"He wanted to hurt as many people as he could. He caused carnage. The young children were just easy targets."

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