3 killed in French church by ‘terrorist’ knife attack

Three people were killed at a church in Nice, France, an attack that the city’s mayor says is an act of terrorism.

It is the third such incident in the nation in two months. It comes weeks after a French teacher was decapitated after showing caricatures of Islam’s prophet Muhammad in class.

Separate attacks took place in the same day near the southern French city of Avignon, where a man was shot after threatening police, and in the Saudi city of Jiddah’s French Embassy, where a guard was attacked.

On Wednesday, Islamic State extremists issued a video calling for renewed attacks on France.

The attacks appear to be linked to an ongoing trial for the 2015 killings at Charlie Hebdo, the French satirical newspaper that published the controversial caricatures.

Christian Estrosi, Nice’s mayor, said the church killings were a “terrorist” attack, adding: “The meaning of his gesture left no doubt.”

One victim, according to a report by the BBC, was said by the mayor to be “virtually beheaded,” and another had his throat slit. The third victim, who was wounded inside the church, was able to flee to a local cafe, where she died to her injuries.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he will increase soldiers’ deployments from about 3,000 now to 7,000 to guard schools and religious sites.

French Prime Minister Jean Castex said the country’s alert level has been elevated to “emergency” after the attack.

The nation’s anti-terrorist prosecutor’s office also has launched an investigation into the killings.

At the same time, tourist attractions in France, including the Louvre, Disneyland Paris and the Musée d’Orsay, were shutting down ahead of COVID-19 lockdowns imposed until December.

The attacker was wounded by police and detained, the BBC reported. Two police officials told The Associated Press that he acted independently and that no other suspects were being sought. Leaders across the world offered support to France.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote in a tweet that he was “appalled” to hear of the attacks in messages in English and French. “Our thoughts are with the victims and their families, and the UK stands steadfastly with France against terror and intolerance,” he said. The Turkish Foreign Ministry, despite political tensions with France, condemned the attack. “We stand in solidarity with the people of France against terror and violence,” the statement said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had accused Macron of antiMuslim sentiment and posed questions about his mental fitness after a Charlie Hebdo illustration of Erdogan.