Two armed men stormed the church during morning mass in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, taking at least five people hostage before slitting the priest’s throat and leaving another person in a critical condition.
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The president of France, Francois Hollande, issued a statement following the attack, in which he said that this is just another example that proves the threat of “Islamist militancy” was even more than ever before.
A French intelligence source told CNN that one of the attackers had been radicalised after the Charlie Hebdo killings and had tried to enter Syria on two occasions and was associated with Maxime Hauchard, another French jihadi.
Three hostages were lined up in front of the church door, meaning police could not launch an attack, said Mr Molins.
One nun escaped, and alerted police.
“We are confronted with a group, Daesh, which has declared war on us”, Mr Hollande said, using an alternative name for the group.
The Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions said that the attack “marks a new stage in the spread of terrorism in France”.
Anger has grown since it became known one of the attackers, 19-year-old Adel Kermiche was on probation and wearing a surveillance tag after two failed attempts to reach Syria.
The IS claimed responsibility for the attack, saying two of its “soldiers” carried out the assault, the BBC reported.
“Following recent events in France, we are reiterating our protective security advice to Christian places of worship and have circulated specific advice today”, said Deputy Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, a senior metropolitan officer tasked with organizing special protection measures.
The attack in the Normandy town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray came as France was still coming to terms with the massacre in the French Riviera city of Nice claimed by the Islamic State group.
Without waiting for such details, ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy, expected to enter a conservative primary soon for next year’s presidential election, jumped on the latest incident to accuse the Socialist government of being soft on terrorism.
“It was at the foot of the altar, they forced (the priest) to kneel and not move – and then we saw the knife in their right hand”, she said.
After Nice, France extended a state of emergency for the fourth time since IS jihadists struck Paris in November, killing 130 people.
“The legal quibbling, precautions and pretexts for insufficient action are not acceptable”.
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Pope Francis condemned the “pain and horror of this absurd violence”. “It’s revolting to watch them bickering!” she tweeted.
