A security guard working for the Qatari embassy in Paris was killed Monday after a fight with another man in front of the mission, French prosecutors said.

The fight took place just before 07:00 am (0500 GMT) local time in front of the embassy in the 8th district in central Paris, a source close to the case told AFP.

"The circumstances surrounding the security guard's death still need to be precisely determined," prosecutors said, adding that the use of a weapon had not yet been confirmed.

The man involved in the fight has been arrested and Paris police have opened an investigation for murder.