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An Orthodox priest was shot and wounded in the French city of Lyon on Saturday, reports AFP. According to the news agency, the attacker must have fled the scene.
According to French television BFM-TV, the priest was shot near an Orthodox church in the city. The 40-year-old priest is said to have been shot in connection with the fact that he was in the process of closing the church at 4pm on Saturday. According to French media information, he is said to have been shot twice in the chest.
The local newspaper Le Progrès claims that the priest was shot with a sawed-off shotgun. The police must have blocked areas in search of the perpetrator. Later on Saturday night, a police source told Reuters that one person had been arrested.
The priest is said to have been conscious when he was taken to the hospital. He is also said to have claimed that he does not know who the person who attacked him is.
The public is urged to stay away
A major police operation was carried out in the area on Saturday with local police patrols and national forces.
The incident occurred in the Seventh District of Lyon. Residents in the area tell Le Progres that they heard two shots followed by screams. Several people who were in the area had to flee the place in panic.
The French Interior Ministry urges the public to stay away from the area and follow instructions from authorities.
France has suffered several acts of violence in a short time and the situation in the country is very tense. Just a few days ago, three people were killed in Nice in a knife attack. The attack is being investigated as an Islamist terrorist act.
It is not yet clear whether the Lyon crime is related to terrorism.
READ MORE: Another man has been arrested for the terrorist attack in Nice
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