[RealityUnfolding]

Priest killed and hostage seriously wounded in attack on church in France

Breaking news update, published at 7:49 a.m. ET
French President Francois Hollande tells reporters that Tuesday's deadly attack at a Catholic church in Normandy was carried out by "by two terrorists in the name of Daesh" -- another name for ISIS.

The hostage killed in an attack on a Catholic church in Normandy, France, on Tuesday was a priest, the Archbishop of Rouen said in a statement.

The Rev. Jacques Hamel, 84, was killed during the attack, according to a statement published on the website of the Diocese of Rouen.

[Original story, published at 7:01 a.m. ET]
One man was killed and another hostage seriously wounded in an attack on a Catholic church in Normandy, France, on Tuesday, a French official has told journalists at the scene.

Two men took five people hostage in the church in the town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray during morning Mass, Interior Ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet said.

Those taken hostage were a priest, two nuns and two churchgoers, CNN French affiliate BFMTV reported.

The situation ended when the two attackers were shot dead by police, Brandet said.

"The two killers came out and they were neutralized," he said.
The wounded hostage was treated at the scene, but had sustained serious injuries and was "between life and death," he said.

Three other hostages were freed and explosives experts are working to check if there are any bombs left at the scene.

The Vatican condemned the attack, calling it "terrible news" on the back of a string of recent violent attacks in Europe. It said the Pope had been informed of the attack and shared the pain and horror in response to the "absurd violence."

The statement said the violence was particularly horrific as it had taken place in a church, "a sacred place where the love of God is announced."

Brandet said he couldn't give any information on the weapons used or the motivations of the attackers.
But the Paris anti-terror prosecutor has taken over the investigation into the attack, France's Interior Ministry said in a statement.

The hostage-taking comes on the back of a string of violent attacks across Europe in recent days, some claimed by the Sunni terror group ISIS, most notably an attack in the French city of Nice less than two weeks ago that left 84 dead.

France has been under a state of emergency since the Paris terror attacks in November last year.

A police cordon has been set up around the scene in the town, about 108 kilometers (67 miles) northwest of Paris.

A witness, Dominique Michot, told CNN that the hostage situation was underway when he arrived at his nearby workplace shortly before 10 a.m. local time (5 a.m. ET).

Michot, a baker who spoke to CNN from inside the police perimeter, said he heard several rifle bursts at about 10 a.m.
He then heard police talk on their radios about an incoming bomb squad.

French President Francois Hollande and Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve are on their way to the scene, officials confirmed.

[RealityUnfolding]

FWIW, some chatter on social media that the men were shouting Allahu Akbar and/or Daesh. BBC refusing to report on these witnesses. Daily Mail has done so. Sad when a rag has more credibility on these things these days. And this place was a target and not even bothered to be watched... how insane is this going to get?

An 86-year-old priest has been 'beheaded' by two 'Islamic' knifemen who cut his throat after bursting into a French church and taking nuns and worshippers hostage before being shot dead by police.

Five people including the priest, two nuns and two parishioners were held by assailants who raided the church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray near Rouen in Normandy at 9am.

The clergyman, named as Jacques Hamel, is believed to have been beheaded during the attack while another hostage is 'hovering between life and death' in hospital.

The two attackers have been 'neutralised' by elite marksmen in a dramatic police operation while the building is being searched for possible explosives.

There were claims that the attackers shouted 'Daesh' – an alternative name for ISIS often used by the French government – as they ran into the church. At least one of the men was dressed in Islamic clothing, according to French media reports, and an anti-terrorist unit has already taken up the investigation.

It comes as it emerged that the place of worship was one of a number of Catholic churches on a terrorist 'hit list' found on a suspected ISIS extremist last April.

The incident comes as France is on high alert after a Bastille Day attack that killed 84 people in Nice and a series of deadly attacks last year claimed by ISIS.

This morning it emerged Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray was one of a number of Catholic churches on a terrorist 'hit list' found on a suspected ISIS terrorist.

Sid Ahmed Ghlam, 24, was arrested in April 2015 after he called an ambulance in Paris after shooting himself in the leg.

Investigators believe he was a terrorist planning 'imminent attacks' in France on the instructions of ISIS leaders.

Investigators found an arsenal of weapons in Ghlam's car, which was parked nearby, and at his student accommodation. It included Kalashnikovs, a police-issue pistol, and a number of bullet-proof vests.

[commondenom]

how long till these fuckers pull a Beslan type massacre in some german or french school? it's bound to happen unless the governments responsible for the safety of their citizens act now....and without mercy

[Olidr]

One of the nuns is in serious condition (they also tried to cut her throat).

Apparently one of the assaillants was imprisonned in 2015. He wanted to do the Jihad...

Oh...i nearly forgot. Hollande and Cazeneuve (peoples of the governement apparently) are currently mourning on the scene (in front of cameras of course)...

[RealityUnfolding]

Originally Posted by Olidr ↗

One of the nuns is in serious condition (they also tried to cut her throat).

Apparently one of the assaillants was imprisonned in 2015. He wanted to do the Jihad...

Trying to work out whether it was a slit throat or beheading attempts. No one has confirmed specifically either way, so I left it "killed", but I'm pretty sure we'll see beheading attempt will be verified. These fuckers don't touch throats unless it's to take off heads.

[guims79]

I lived in Saint Etienne du Rouvray 2 years ago...I know that church and the neighborhood very well. Now I live 30 kms away in deep country...Those fuckers are getting closer and stronger, no leader, or governant to protect us, no rights to do it by ourselves...

The only thing I know: I will not let anybody cut my throat without resistance. Like I said before, guns are greased and loaded...

Fuck Hollande, Fuck Valls, Fuck Israel.

"Arise children of the fatherland
The day of glory has arrived
Against us tyranny's
Bloody standard is raised
Listen to the sound in the fields
The howling of these fearsome soldiers
They are coming into our midst
To cut the throats of your sons and consorts


To arms citizens ! Form your battalions
March, march
Let impure blood
Water our furrows....."

[Olidr]

Originally Posted by guims79 ↗

I lived in Saint Etienne du Rouvray 2 years ago...I know that church and the neighborhood very well. Now I live 30 kms away in deep country...Those fuckers are getting closer and stronger, no leader, or governant to protect us, no rights to do it by ourselves...

The only thing I know: I will not let anybody cut my throat without resistance. Like I said before, guns are greased and loaded...

Fuck Hollande, Fuck Valls, Fuck Israel.

"Arise children of the fatherland
The day of glory has arrived
Against us tyranny's
Bloody standard is raised
Listen to the sound in the fields
The howling of these fearsome soldiers
They are coming into our midst
To cut the throats of your sons and consorts


To arms citizens ! Form your battalions
March, march
Let impure blood
Water our furrows....."

The problem is, the politics will do all their possible to avoid that. Since the source of all of this is...themselves. We are in front of a huge machine who drive herself since 40+ years.

They want to establish a "management by terror" on our country and this is the reason why people who want to defend themselve (and i give them reason for that since the current policy didn't do it) are often pointed with an accusing finger...

Now it is feared that this growing pile of corpses will only serve their politics interest (just look that Hollande got some points in the last opinion poll "thanks" to the nice attack).
We live in a rotten system, but immensely effective.

[RealityUnfolding]

Additional details added to CNN story:

A French police source told CNN that one of the church attackers had tried to go to fight in Syria last year, but had been stopped in Turkey by authorities there.

He was then sent back to France and sent to prison in May 2015, before he was released, placed under police surveillance and forced to wear an electronic monitoring tag.

French authorities have struggled to monitor the thousands of domestic Islamic radicals on their radar, and, in response to the heightened terror threat, Hollande has vowed to double the number of officials charged with the task.

More than 10,000 people are on their "fiche S" list, used to flag radicalized individuals considered a threat to national security.

Seriously, you have a guy who's being "monitored" and has no troubles getting to a top spot on a hit list?

And how big is this "task force" if it can be so easily doubled, despite having 10k people being "watched" (apparently, not watched) in a population of 66m?

[LadyCPlum]

Originally Posted by guims79 ↗

Fuck Hollande, Fuck Valls, Fuck Israel.."

Fuck Israel? What the actual fuck has that got to do with anything?

[LadyCPlum]

Repose en paix, mon Père.
Requiesce in pace, Pater.