ISIS Followers Attacked French Church, Killed 86-Year Old Head Priest

Saint-Etienne-Du-Rouvray: Two followers of terrorist group Islamic State (ISIS) on Tuesday killed the head priest of a church in France, injuring several others, during the Roman Catholic Mass. The head-priest, Rev. Jacques Hamel, 86, was stabbed and suffered a throat slit.  The deadly attack took place at Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, a small French town.

This killing is another addition in the wave of terrorist attack by ISIS taking place for the last few months across the western countries.

Reports are that one of the attackers, who carried out the killing, was named as Adel Kermiche and was a 19-year-old youth. Prosecutor Francois Molins said that Kermiche was a French citizen and had served 10 months in prison. He also tried to flee twice from the country, once using one of his relative’s identities to Syria. On March 2016, he was released from the jail on condition that ‘he wears an electronic monitoring bracelet, over the objections of prosecutors who still viewed him as a risk.’

Following the attack, police found Kermiche wearing the electronic tag. Another attacker has not been identified by the police yet.

French President Francois Hollande condemned the attack on the small church city and confirmed that it was committed by the followers of ISIS. Saying the attack ‘cowardly’, the President added that more five people were taken into hostage by the two attackers.

Sources said that it is the first time a church has been attacked by ISIS.  Witnesses asserted that before leaving the church, the terrorists shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’, meaning ‘God the Greatest’ in Arabic.

Pope Francis, after he had been informed with the attack, said it an ‘absurd violence’ and shared his grief. Pope Francis and President Hollande had a telephonic conversation after the attack, where the later had vowed to ‘do everything to protect churches and places of worship,’ as revealed by reports from Hollande’s office.