Six people were injured when a vehicle slammed into soldiers guarding a Paris suburb, French police said.

Authorities are now searching for the vehicle and the driver after the incident in Levallois, north-west of the capital, according to a Paris police spokesman.

The vehicle appeared to clearly target the soldiers but the motive is unclear, the spokesman added.

Two people were seriously injured and four others were less badly hurt, he said.

The incident is the latest in a series targeting security forces in France guarding sites after a string of deadly attacks.

The mayor of Levallois said it was a deliberate act targeting security forces.

Patrick Balkany denounced on BFM television what he called an "odious attack" and said it was "without a doubt deliberate".

The incident in the Place de Verdun targeted soldiers from the Sentinelle security force which was created after Islamic extremist attacks in 2015.

It comes four days after a teenager with psychiatric problems tried to attack security forces guarding the Eiffel Tower.