Pair pledge allegiance

Two jihadists who attacked a French church and killed a priest pledged allegiance to Isis (Islamic State), a video showed yesterday, as investigators worked to identify the second assailant.

Two men stormed into a church in the northern town of SaintEtienne-du-Rouvray during mass on Tuesday and slit the throat of Father Jacques Hamel, 86, at the altar before being gunned down by police. Another man was seriously injured, while three nuns and a worshipper escaped unharmed.

One of the attackers was identified as French jihadist Adel Kermiche, 19, who was awaiting trial on terror charges and had been fitted with an electronic tag despite calls from the prosecutor for him not to be released.

Sources close to the investigation said they found an identity card belonging to one Abdel Malik P, also 19, at Kermiche’s home, who they believe is the second attacker.

In a video on the Isis news agency Amaq, two men calling themselves by the noms de guerre Abu Omar and Abu Jalil al-Hanafi swear “obedience” to Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. — AFP