French authorities have arrested a 27-year-old Tunisian man suspected of plotting a violent action inspired by jihadism.

Axar.az reports, citing France 24, according to a source familiar with the case, the investigation established that the suspect was aiming to attack "a Paris museum as well as members of the Jewish community, although no specific target had been identified".

The man was arrested on May 7 after a preliminary probe was launched the day before into suspected "terrorist criminal conspiracy", the PNAT prosecutor's office said, confirming a report in Le Monde newspaper.

Besides plotting the attack in Paris, the suspect was contemplating joining "the ranks of the Islamic State terrorist organisation in Syria or Mozambique", it added.

Two newspapers, Le Monde and Le Parisien, reported that the suspect had considered the Louvre museum as a possible target, as well as the Jewish community in the capital's 16th arrondissement.

Both the internal DGSI security services and the counter-terrorism unit of the SAT-BC criminal investigation division were entrusted with the probe.

He was placed in pre-trial detention on Monday.