Hero US marine who prevented terrorist's train massacre in France is 'in critical condition' as he and his comrades are praised for 'extreme bravery' in saving dozens of lives

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A gunman opened fire on board a high speed train in northern France
Eyewitnesses said three U.S. Marines on the train disarmed the gunman
The man was armed with a deadly a Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifle
Three people were wounded and the gunman is currently in police custody

By Mia De Graaf For Dailymail.com and Darren Boyle for MailOnline

Published: 15:15 EST, 21 August 2015 | Updated: 18:40 EST, 21 August 2015

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A US Marine is in critical condition after tackling a Kalashnikov-wielding gunman on a train between Amsterdam and Paris, according to French media reports.

The serviceman, who has not been named, was one of two Americans on leave - possibly embassy guards - who tackled the 26-year-old Moroccan national to the ground after hearing him load up a gun in the toilet.

In the scuffle, one of the Marines was shot and is now in a critical condition, France Info reports. He was airlifted to CHR hospital in Lille, France. The other Marine was stabbed, and has been taken to the central hospital of Arras with serious but not life-threatening injuries.

Addressing reporters at the station in Arras, northern France, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve praised their bravery.

'I would like to express our gratitude to and admiration for these two American passengers,' said Cazeneuve.

'Thanks to the calm composure of the two American passengers, we have avoided a tragedy. Without them we would have faced a terrible drama.'

'They were particularly courageous and showed extreme bravery in extremely difficult circumstances.'

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These are the dramatic scenes as three U.S. Marines wrestled with a crazed gunman onboard a French train

The suspected gunman was held on the platform of the station in Arras in France for police to arrive

French police sealed off the train after the gunman was arrested after he was disarmed by the Marines

French police recovered at least six full magazines of ammunition from the suspect's backpack

The suspected terrorist had at least six full magazines of ammunition holding almost 200 rounds. He was also carrying a knife.

A spokesman for the train company Thalys said: 'The situation is under control, the travellers are safe. The train stopped and the emergency services are on site.'

No one at the SNCF French railways was immediately available to comment on the report.

A report on Twitter said that US Marines detained the gunman until emergency services arrived.

The incident happened at approximately 6pm local time.

French newspaper Le Monde is reporting that one Briton may be among the injured.

The motives behind the attack were not immediately known, although a spokesman for the interior minister said: 'It is too early to speak of a terrorist link'.

The incident happened approximately 115 miles north of Paris near the town of Arras

Investigators from France's special anti-terror police are leading the investigation, a spokeswoman for the Paris prosecutor's office said.

Two of the victims are in a critical condition. The suspect is a 26-year-old Moroccan, said Sliman Hamzi, an official with police union Alliance.

A spokesman for the French state rail company SNCF said that the assailant was armed with guns and knives but gave no further details about the attack.

At least three people were injured, one of them seriously, after the gunman opened fire earlier today

French police said that the suspect was a 26-year-old Moroccan national and was known to security services

French authorities are currently investigating the motive behind today's shooting which left three injured

Local media reported that French actor Jean-Hugues Anglade, (standing) who played hardman cop Eddy Caplan in gritty crime drama Braquo was among the three people who were wounded in the shooting

One of the gunman's victims was rushed to hospital after the train arrived in Arras, in northern France

An American and a Briton were reportedly among those injured.

The gunman was arrested after the train pulled into the station in the northern French town of Arras, the SNCF spokesman told AFP.

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve was heading to Arras in the wake of the incident, which occurred shortly after 6pm local time.

His spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet confirmed to AFP that a man had opened fire on the train but said that at this stage "we do not know his motives".

The French actor Jean-Hugues Anglade, who appeared in the 1986 cult film 'Betty Blue' staring Beatrice Dalle, was lightly injured.

Thalys said on its website that several trains had been delayed after the 'intervention of security forces at Arras station'.

'The train is at the station and emergency services are at the scene,' said Thalys, which is jointly owned by the national rail companies of Belgium, France and Germany.

Emergency services greeted the train as it arrived in Arras to help with distressed passengers

French anti-terror police are leading the investigation into the 26-year-old gunman who was arrested

The British Foreign Office said it was in contact with French authorities after it was reported a Briton was hurt

France remains on edge after Islamic extremists attacked the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and a Jewish supermarket in Paris in January.

In June, a man beheaded his boss and tried to blow up a gas plant in southern France in what prosecutors say was an attack inspired by ISIS.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: 'We are aware of reports of shots being fired on a train in France.

'The French authorities have responded, we are in contact with them and are urgently seeking more information.'

Interior ministry spokesman Pierre Henry Brandet said: ‘A man opened fire on this Thalys train between Amsterdam and Paris, one person was very seriously injured. Talking about a terrorist motive would be premature at the moment.’

Francois Hollande, the French president, has said: ‘I express my solidarity with the wounded from the attack on the train from Amsterdam to Paris. Everything is being done to shed light on this tragedy.’