BREAKING: Terror attack in French PLAYGROUND

Horrific footage today shows a Syrian refugee repeatedly stabbing a toddler in its pram in front of his screaming mother in a frenzied attack at a French playground that saw four children knifed.

The attacker, identified as Abdalmash H, 32, launched his 'abominable' rampage in a lakeside park in the town of Annecy, a tourist hotspot in southeastern France, at around 9.45am.

Distressing video shows the attacker running into the small playground and repeatedly stabbing a toddler in his pram while his screaming mother tries to protect him from the attack.

Further dramatic footage shows the attacker, a Syrian refugee who arrived in France last year, later being pinned to the ground by armed police officers at the park after being chased away from the playground by locals.

Horrified witnesses say mothers ran past them screaming 'run, run' in the aftermath of the frenzied attack.

Four children aged around three - including a British girl - and an adult were seriously injured in the attack. Two of the young victims and the adult are now in a life-threatening condition at a nearby hospital.

Witnesses said the knifeman had begun attacking the preschool children while they were playing at a small playground in a scene of utter 'carnage'. They said he had launched his onslaught on the toddlers because they were 'easy targets'.

Witnesses said they heard the man shouting before he began attacking the small children in the playground. One of the injured children was in a stroller.

Horrific video of the attack shows Abdalmash H carrying a knife and running towards a screaming mother whose little boy is in a stroller before a local man hits the attacker with his rucksack and chases him away.

But the knifeman jumps into the playground again and runs towards the mother and her toddler. The woman screams and tries to protect her son with her body but Abdalmash quickly moves around her and stabs the little boy twice.

The toddler can be seen screaming in pain as the mother and terrified parents scream for help as the attacker runs away again.

But the carnage continues. Abdalmash H runs back towards the child in the pram and stabs him again in front of his horrified mother before he is chased away by a local man who throws his bag at him.

Further video taken minutes after the stabbing shows the attacker being chased by locals across the park. Parents can be heard in the background screaming for help for their injured children.

Soon afterwards, armed police arrived at the scene and were able to subdue the knifeman before he was arrested for the attack that left four children and an adult seriously injured.