[ad_1]
Published in: Last update:
Paris (AFP)
A man carrying a knife in a church in Nice, southeastern France, killed three people, at least one of them a child, and injured others before police arrested him, authorities confirmed Thursday.
Also on Thursday, a Saudi man attacked a guard at the French consulate in Jeddah with a “sharp object”, causing injuries, according to the Saudi Press Agency, which indicated the arrest of the attacker.
The French antiterrorist prosecutor’s office opened an investigation into the attack, which the mayor of the city, Christian Estrozzi, considered an “Islamist-fascist attack”.
“He (the attacker) kept repeating endlessly, God is Great, even under the influence of medicines,” he said, after being injured during his arrest.
Two of the victims died in the church of Notre Dame, in the heart of the coastal city overlooking the Mediterranean, while the third died after being seriously injured in a nearby bar where he had taken refuge, according to a police source.
Police spokeswoman Florence Gavilo said authorities “are now in control of the situation.”
France has been on security alert in anticipation of terrorist attacks since the January 15, 2015, attack on Charlie Hebdo magazine, and hearings of suspected conspirators in the attack are taking place in Paris.
The attack in Nice recalls the jihadist attack during National Day celebrations with the firing of firecrackers on July 14, 2016, when a man rammed his truck into a crowd and killed 86 people.
This attack was part of a series of jihadist attacks in France, often carried out by attackers called “lone wolves”, which have killed more than 250 people since 2015.
Following the Nice attack, MPs observed a minute’s silence in Parliament, before Prime Minister Jean Castex and other ministers abruptly left for a crisis meeting with President Emmanuel Macron.
Estrozzi, who confirmed that Macron will arrive in Nice soon, called for strengthening the protection of the churches or closing them as a precaution.
For its part, the French Episcopal Conference considered the attack an “indescribable” act and expressed its hope that “Christians will not become targets of murder.”
“We are very moved and shocked by this type of heinous act,” said Father Hugh de Wolemon, a spokesman for the center, adding: “There is an urgent need to combat this scourge of terrorism, with the same urgency to build brotherhood in our country in a tangible way. “
European Parliament President David Sassoli called on Europeans to “unite against violence and against those who seek to incite and spread hatred”, tweeting: “I am deeply shocked and saddened by the horrible news of the attack. Nice. We all feel this pain in Europe. “
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte also condemned the “shameful attack” that “will not destabilize the united front in defense of the values of freedom and peace.” “Our convictions are stronger than fanaticism, hatred and terrorism,” he added in a tweet.
– Tensions increased –
The attack comes days after thousands took to the streets of France to show solidarity with a professor who was beheaded to show his students cartoons of the prophet Muhammad.
History teacher Samuel Bati was killed by 18-year-old Chechen Abdullah Anzurov, who committed the heinous crime near the school where Patty knew, in a Paris neighborhood after angry residents denounced the teacher on social media.
His death prompted Macron to pledge to crack down on Islamic extremism, including closing mosques and organizations accused of inciting extremism and violence.
However, the decision generated tension with many Muslims who believed that Macron unfairly attacks Muslims in France, whose number is estimated between five and six million people, which is the largest Muslim community in Europe.
Protests against France broke out in many Muslim countries and some of them called for a boycott of French products. The tension has been particularly exacerbated between Macron and Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan.
© 2020 AFP
