A priest has been killed in a suspected terrorist attack after two knifemen stormed a church in the town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, Normandy. Police are handling the incident as a terrorist incident and have called in anti-terrorism prosecutors.
Reports indicate the attackers burst into the church during Morning Mass and took five people hostage. It is believed the five hostages were two churchgoers, two nuns and the priest.
French media has reported two knifemen have been shot dead after taking hostages in a church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray in #Normandy
— Sky News Breaking (@SkyNewsBreak) July 26, 2016
La Figaro have reported the knifemen “slit the Priest’s throat” before being “neutralised” by Police. Another hostage was seriously wounded in the attack and remains in a critical condition. RAID forces, an elite police intervention unit, are currently searching the church and surrounding grounds for explosive devices.
"Les deux terroristes se réclamaient de #Daech" selon @fhollande #SaintEtienneDuRouvray @RTLFrance pic.twitter.com/d7pdwBNBna
— frederic veille (@fredveille) July 26, 2016
The attackers motive is as of yet unknown, and no group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack. Speaking in the town, President Hollande said the terrorists claimed to be from Daesh.
France is currently in a state of emergency, declared by President Hollande following the Bastille Day attack in Nice which killed 84.
To understand the motivations of these people one needs to acquaint themselves with Islamic theology generally and of the salafists specifically. For instance most of the suicide bombing in Iraq between Sunni and Shia tribes can be explained through competing claims for the true way of Islam and the emergence of the Mahdi – understanding these brings a lot of clarity to a murky situation. As for terror attacks on the West and on the Christian church: there is a move within IS to provoke all out war and cast it as a religious battle in order to fulfil a… Read more »