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Two Arrested in Connection with Priest’s Killing in France

He started as a porter there in December after completing his Baccalaureate at the Marlioz high school in nearby Aix-les-Bains, where he lived.

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Petitjean left the airport in April and in June was caught by Turkish intelligence services as he tried to get into Syria to link up with ISIS.

Farid, 30, hosted his cousin in his flat in Nancy in eastern France for a few days before the attack and “knew perfectly well” that Petitjean was about to carry out an attack, the prosecutor’s office said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Monday slammed what it called a “barbaric attack” of terrorists in France, which resulted in the death of a Catholic priest.

The arrests came after it emerged Petitjean was on the French terror watch list and previously been arrested for trying to travel to Syria and join terrorist forces fighting there.

Last Friday there was a warning that he was back in France and ready to strike.

Adel Kermiche was also known to the security services.

On Saturday, a vigil was held for Rev. Hamel in the church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray.

After November’s IS attack on Paris in which 130 were murdered, one of perpetrators slipped through police roadblocks.

“He was considered to be a hardworking, friendly young man who did not pose any danger to passengers or others using the airport”.

Another man, a Syrian refugee, was released by police, while a minor initially detained in connection with the attack will not be prosecuted over the incident, though may face separate charges in relation to materials found on his computer.

Last week, Islamic State’s affiliated news agency Amaq released a video purportedly showing Petitjean urging Muslims to destroy France.

French prime minister Manuel Valls, who is under pressure to resign, said the anti-terrorism judges who let Kermiche out of prison early with the tag should not be blamed.

But he admitted the decision to free Kermiche under such weak bail conditions was a “failure”.

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He told his “brothers”: “Go out with a knife, whatever is needed”.

French authorities filed first charges over the church attack in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray.                  Charly Triballeau  AFP