Former president Nicolas Sarkozy, who is expected to enter a conservative primary for next year’s presidential election, stepped up his attack on Hollande’s record since the first major attack against satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo last year.
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Speaking outside the church, French President Francois Hollande called it a “dreadful terrorist attack” and told reporters the attackers had pledged allegiance to ISIL, also known as ISIS.
An 84-year-old priest has been killed with a knife, and another person seriously wounded, after two men with alleged links to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria took several people hostage in an attack on a church in northern France, Al Jazeera reports.
One of the assailants was a known would-be jihadist awaiting trial under supposedly tight surveillance, a revelation that raised pressure over the Socialist government’s response to a wave of attacks claimed by Islamic State since early in 2015.
Both of the terrorists were killed by police as they were leaving the church by French Special Forces, with one of the terrorists, Adel Kermiche, 19, being identified by his fingerprints.
“We offer our condolences to the family and friends of the murdered priest, Father Jacques Hamel”.
– Who were the attackers?
“It disturbs us all but it is meant to try and distract us and divide us from the things that we know will be effective in keeping Australians safe”, he told Sky News.
Paris prosecutor’s office said the case had been handed to “anti-terrorism” judges for investigation.
“We deeply desire that our places of worship are the subject of greater (security) focus, a sustained focus”, said Dalil Boubakeur. Our democracy is the target, and it will be our shield. “We must not get into divergences, but stay united people as we were before”, he said.
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“The threat is very high”. It has been 18 months that civilians have been attacked, now they are attacking religious symbols, using our religion as a pretext.
