Woman Decapitated, Two Others Stabbed to Death in Grisly Nice Terror Attack

 

Three people have died in a knife attack at a church in Nice, in what French President Emmanuel Macron said was an "Islamist terrorist attack".

He said France would not surrender its core values after visiting the Notre-Dame basilica in the southern city. An extra 4,000 troops are being deployed to protect churches and schools.

In Nice, one elderly victim was "virtually beheaded", officials said. Another woman and a man also died.

A male suspect was shot and detained.

Anti-terror prosecutors have opened an investigation into the attack and France has raised its national security alert to its highest level.

French anti-terrorist prosecutor Jean-François Ricard later said the attacker was seriously wounded by police.

Mr Ricard said the suspect was a 21-year-old Tunisian national who had arrived in France earlier this month. He had a document issued by the Italian Red Cross.

Police sources earlier named the attacker as Brahim Aioussaoi. They said he had travelled by boat from Tunisia to the Italian island of Lampedusa in September. He was placed in coronavirus quarantine there before being released and told to leave Italy.

Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi spoke of "Islamo-fascism" and said the suspect had "repeated endlessly 'Allahu Akbar' (God is greatest)".

All three were attacked inside the basilica on Thursday morning before the first Mass of the day.

Two died inside the church: a 60-year-old woman who was "virtually beheaded", and a 55-year-old man whose throat was cut.

The male victim was a lay member of staff responsible for the upkeep of the church. He reportedly had a wife and two children.

Another woman, aged 44, managed to flee to a nearby cafe after being stabbed several times, but died later.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54729957