The man is thought to have entered France on a flight from Dubai, but investigators are still trying to establish his identity, the sources said.
In his visa request to come to France he declared that he was Egyptian.
The man wielded a machete and shouted "Allahu Akbar" ("God is greatest") as he lunged at soldiers patrolling outside the Louvre, home to the Mona Lisa and one of the world's most-visited museums.
The attack has thrust security and the terror threat to France back into the limelight three months before elections.
More than 230 people have been killed in terror attacks in France since January 2015, including 130 who died when gunmen and suicide bombers from the Islamic State group struck at Paris on November 13, 2015.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content