At least three people were killed and several others injured in a knife attack carried out inside a church in the Notre-Dame area of Nice in the early hours of Thursday morning. The attack was confirmed to be related to Islamic terrorism, as the man shouted “Allahu Akbar” as he burst into the Church.
According to reports, he decapitated one of the two women he killed, while he also killed a man.
The public was asked to avoid the area while a major security operation was carried out by armed police.
Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi confirmed that the alleged perpetrator has been taken into custody and thanked police for their quick response.
Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi confirmed that the alleged perpetrator has been taken into custody and thanked police for their quick response.
The motive for the attack remains unclear but Mayor Estrosi confirmed that, based on the evidence so far, it was a terrorist attack.
Meanwhile, police are carrying out a controlled explosion in the area and have asked the public to steer clear while bomb disposal teams work.
8h50 grand déploiement des forces de l’ordre à #NotreDame à #Nice. Des coups de feu entendus. pic.twitter.com/SiuOhAeRG8
— Ivan Blanco (@ivanblancovilar) October 29, 2020
The attack comes two weeks after the beheading of a Frech teacher on the outskirts of Paris by an 18-year-old Chechen Islamic terrorist who killed the unfortunate man for showing Mohammed cartoons to his students.
French President Emmanuel Macron declared war on Islamic fanaticism after the incident, even giving permission to illuminate government buildings with Charlie Hebdo cartoons. The move provoked many reactions in the Muslim world.
