
The driver was seriously wounded when the soldiers shot at him but his injuries are not life-threatening, the government said in a statement.
France shuts down three mosques and four Muslim prayer rooms
The driver was taken to hospital and his motives were not yet known. He had not yet been questioned.
The 29-year-old driver is not known to local intelligence services, a source close to the investigation said. He is from a suburb of Lyon, about an hour's drive from Valence and his wife has arrived at hospital to see him, the source said.

The injured passerby was a 72-year-old worshipper who was hit in the calf by a stray bullet shot by the soldiers, Valence mayor Nicolas Daragon told the iTELE news channel. The soldier had slight injuries to his legs.
Paris mosque urges Muslims to join 'anti-terror' protest on Friday
"The four soldiers were in front of the mosque, a moderate, quiet mosque, in between two prayer sessions, at a time when many worshippers arrived," Daragon said. "A car drove at them."
The driver tried twice to hit the soldiers and they shot at him on his second attempt, he said.
France has been on high alert since Islamic State militants killed 130 people in shootings and suicide bombings in Paris on November 13. Soldiers are protecting sensitive places across the country, including official buildings and religious sites.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ