French priest’s throat slit in attack

NORMANDY // Two men yesterday stormed a church and slit an elderly priest’s throat, in the latest in a string of attacks on France.

The two entered a church in the working-class town of Saint- Etienne- du- Rouvray, in Normandy, during morning mass.

Sister Danielle, a nun who was in St Etienne church at the time, said Father Jaques Hamel, in his eighties, was wearing his white robes at the altar when “they forced him to get on his knees”.

“He tried to struggle, he tried,” she said, adding the men recorded the attack.

Five people were taken hostage, with three freed unharmed and one in a critical condition.

The two, who claimed to be members of ISIL, were later shot dead by police.

Police said the two were armed with knives, an old pistol that did not work and a “fake package” made up to look as if it contained explosives. The local imam, Mohammed Karabila, said he was “stunned by the death of my friend. He was someone who gave his life to others. We are dumbfounded at the mosque”.

Pope Francis voiced his “pain and horror” at the “barbaric killing” of the priest.

It was the fourth attack claimed by ISIL in Europe in two weeks. The attacks have been carried out by people inspired by the group from afar. Some were reported to have had mental illness.

The attack on the priest came less than two weeks after the lorry massacre of 84 people in the French Riviera city of Nice.

French president Francois Hollande said the men who carried out yesterday’s attack claimed they were acting on behalf of ISIL, which later claimed the attack.

Police carried out two raids in the town and at least one man was taken into custody.

A source said that one of the attackers had tried to visit Syria twice last year and had been charged with terror links. He was released with an electronic monitoring bracelet.

Neighbours said he had already threatened to attack a church.