ISIS Terrorists Kill Elderly Priest, Take Nuns Hostage at Knifepoint At A Church In France

Update 2: French authorities have confirmed that the terrorists killed The Rev. Jacques Hamel by slitting his throat. Eyewitnesses later told police officials that the attackers video taped themselves giving a sermon in Arabic before they were shot dead by the French police responding to the attack. The ISIS or the Islamic State has since then claimed responsibility for this latest terror attack – just like it did for the previous terror attack that took place in Nice. In a statement issued by them, the two attackers were hailed as “two soldiers of the Islamic State.” Meanwhile, a Muslim leader from the region reportedly told investigators that one of the attackers was known to him and that the man had earlier attempted going to Syria. In fact, the man was reportedly under surveillance by French authorities before he carried out the attack.

Update: The priest has been identified as The Rev. Jacques Hamel and he was killed by slitting his throat and was not beheaded as initially reported.

Original Report: One person, believed to be a priest from a church in northern France has died after an apparent terrorist attack, the second such attack in the country in as many weeks. According to the New York Times, this latest incident happened at the church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray when a Mass was underway. Initial reports said there were two men involved in the attack who took several people hostage inside the church. French police responded to the scene of the attack, following which both of the attackers were shot dead. The rest of the hostages were rescued. The area where the incident took place has been cordoned off and people have been told to stay away from the area as investigations commence.

French officials later confirmed that the person who died in the attack was an 84-year-old priest. Officials have not yet released the name of the victim. According to locals however, the elderly priest was pretty well known in the area. According to Eulalie Garcia, a woman who is employed at a local beauty parlor, the priest was known to her family for more than 35 years.

“My family has lived here for 35 years and we have always known him. He was someone who was treasured by the community. He was very discreet and didn’t like to draw attention to himself,” she tolf BBC News.

When will we stop waking up2 MURDER?
Killing kids, pregnant women, another priest beheaded n name of islam.#Normandy pic.twitter.com/fUKIizwYoU

— Bruce Porter, Jr. (@NetworksManager) July 26, 2016

The hostage killed in the #SaintEtienneduRouvray church attack was a priest: Rev. Jacques Hamel, age 84 https://t.co/3ptyGDXNUY

— CNN International (@cnni) July 26, 2016

#France: 2 men yelling allahu akbar beheaded priest after taking hostages at #Normandy church https://t.co/AM1QE6isK9 @SkyNews @BBCBreaking

— London Taxi Trade (@londontaxitrade) July 26, 2016

According to Pierre-Henri Brandet, a senior official from the French interior ministry, another hostage has been critically injured in the incident. The identity of the second victim too, has been kept under wraps. He went on to add that both the attackers were “neutralized” and that efforts are on to check for any possible explosives that may have been placed inside the church. Brandet also termed the attack “barbaric” while adding that the motive behind the attack remains under investigation. He did, however, add that the French anti-terrorism experts have been called into investigate.

French Prime Minister Manuel Carlos Valls Galfetti expressed shock after the news of the attack reached him. He wrote on Twitter;

“The whole of France and all Catholics are wounded. We will stand together.

French President Francois Hollande is traveling along with the Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve to Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, where they would be briefed by police.

Officials are still mum on the identity of the two attackers. However, the needle of suspicion is already on Islamic terrorists backed by the ISIS. France has seen several attacks in the past year, with the most recent one happening earlier this month in the city of Nice, where a Tunisian man, Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, killed more than 80 people. The man used a truck to plow into people celebrating Bastille Day. France’s neighbor Germany has also been under attack recently.

(AP Photo/Francois Mori)