Italian intelligence employee found dead in Paris

An Italian intelligence agency's employee has been found dead near his hotel in Paris, sources said on Tuesday.

His body was discovered was on Sunday night in the northern 18th district of Paris, not far from the hotel he had been staying in since May 3.

The investigators have ruled out any foul play, for now, The Paris prosecutor's office has opened an inquiry into the matter.

"We're talking about a classic search for the cause of death," a source close to the inquiry said.

The 50-year-old man has been identified as a "high-ranking civil servant in Italian intelligence," one source told AFP.

He was found in a pool of vomit, and had a gaping wound on his chin, possibly suffered during a fall, according to investigators.