Seven-year-old girl among eight injured as masked gunmen open fire on French mosque

Hooded men shoot as worshippers leave building - but police say attack isn't terror-related

Police said they were not treating the incident as a terror attack (REUTERS)

A seven-year-old girl has been injured after masked men opened fire outside a mosque in the south of France.

Eight were injured when two hooded men, who were reportedly armed with a handgun and rifle, opened fire as crowds were leaving the Arrahma mosque in Avignon at around 10.30pm.

Four people were injured at the scene, while a family of four in an apartment around 50 metres away suffered shrapnel wounds. Among the injured was a seven-year-old girl.

Two of the eight injured were taken to hospital, La Provence reported

Police said they were not treating the incident as a terror attack.

Local magistrate Laure Chabaud said the mosque did not appear to be the target of the shooting, French media reported.

Local media said the perpetrators were driving a black Renault Clio and fled the scene.

The shooting came as France's government prepared to extend a state of emergency in place since Islamic extremist attacks in 2015, citing continued threats.