Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/707940
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 27 JULY 2016 THE murder of a priest in Nor- mandy yesterday was an act of terrorism carried out by two followers of Islamic State (ISIS), French President François Hol- lande confirmed. An 84-year-old priest was killed and four other people taken hostage by two armed men who stormed a church in a suburb of Rouen in northern France. The two attackers, who said they were from the so-called Islamic State, slit Fr Jacques Hamel 's throat during a morn- ing Mass, officials said. Police later surrounded the church, in St-Etienne-du-Rou- vray, and shot dead both hos- tage-takers. One of the hostages is in a critical condition in hos- pital. Visiting the scene of the assas- sination Francois Hollande said the attackers had committed a "cowardly assassination" and France would fight ISIS " by all means". Hollande described the inci- dent as "an ignoble terrorist at- tack " by two supporters of ISIS, which claimed responsibility for the attack via its affiliated Amaq news agency. He said the Islamist group "has declared war on us," adding that it was a war France would have to fight by remaining united. Hollande said "I have met with the family of the priest and I have spoken to the people kept hostage who expressed their pain and sadness as well as a wish to comprehend what has happened." The French prime min- ister, Manuel Valls, said the " barbar- ic" attack was a blow to the C a t h o l i c c o m m u - nity and the whole of France. P o p e F r a n c i s d e c r i e d the "pain and horror of this absurd violence". The murdered priest had worked in the parish for more than10 years. He should have retired at 75 but wanted to con- tinue serving the church and community, local residents said. Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said Pope Francis "shares the pain and horror of this absurd violence", adding that the attack created "im- mense pain and worry". Francis issued "the most se- vere condemnation of all forms of hatred " and said he was ap- palled " because this horrific violence took place in a church, a sacred place" and involved the " barbaric" killing of a priest. One attacker is reported to have been known to French po- lice, and had tried to enter Syria last year. A witness to the attack has de- scribed how the two men forced the priest, Father Jacques Hamel, to his knees, slit his throat and filmed themselves appearing to preach in Arabic at the altar. A nun, named as Sister Dan- ielle, was among the five hostag- es who were taken when the men armed with knives reportedly entered the church of Saint-Éti- enne-du-Rouvray, near Rouen, at 9.43am local time on Tuesday during morning prayers. "Everyone was shouting 'stop, stop you don't know what you're doing'. They forced him to his knees and obvi- ously he w a n t e d to defend h i m s e l f and that's when the drama be- gan," Sis- ter Danielle said, adding that she had f led the church while the terrorists cut Hamel 's throat. She and two other hostages escaped, but the other victim was described as being seriously injured and between "life and death." Sister Danielle said the two men filmed their attack. "They didn't see me leave," she told the French channel BFMTV. "They were busy with their knives. They were filming themselves preaching in Arabic in front of the altar. It was a horror. Jacques was an extraordinary priest. He was a great man, Father Jacques." The two hostage-takers were shot dead by police as they came out of the church. One person has been detained in the investi- gation into the attack, the Paris prosecutor's office said, without giving any further details. News Islamic State claims responsibility for murder of French priest Two attackers took hostages inside a French church during morning mass near the city of Rouen, killing an 86-year-old priest by slitting his throat before being shot and killed by police Fr Jacques Hamel