- Two knifemen claiming to be from Islamic state took several hostages during mass
- They killed the 85-year-old priest Jacques Hamel by slitting his throat
- Three churchgoers were also injured, one of them seriously
- The attackers were shot dead by police
- President François Hollande described it as a “vile terrorist attack”
- Counter terror judges have been called in to investigate
- Isis then claimed responsibility for the attack
#NORMANDY #FRANCE #SaintEtienneDuRouvray Police: the church's priest was murdered. #PIC of casualty being taken out. pic.twitter.com/fPFecUiyDh
— John Sjoholm (@JohnSjoholmLC) July 26, 2016
Nombreux tirs entendus sur places prise otage saint etienne du Rouvray pic.twitter.com/FsqAKAaj2C
— frederic veille (@fredveille) July 26, 2016
Le président @fhollande sur place avec @BCazeneuve pic.twitter.com/jmOL4loXpC
— frederic veille (@fredveille) July 26, 2016
France's Prime Minister Manuel Valls expressed his “horror at the barbaric attack” in the early afternoon.
“The whole of France and all Catholics are wounded. We will stand together,” he wrote on Twitter.