Three people have died in a knife attack at a church in Nice, France.
Two of those who died were attacked inside the church, the elderly woman and a man who was found with his throat cut, reports said.
A woman managed to flee to a nearby cafe after being stabbed several times, but died later.
It later emerged that a witness had managed to raise the alarm with a special protection system set up by the city.
French President Emmanuel Macron called it an “Islamist terrorist attack” after visiting the Notre-Dame basilica in the southern city, stating that France would not surrender its core values.
He announced that more troops are being deployed to protect churches and schools.
Mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi called it “Islamo-fascism” and said the suspect had “repeated endlessly ‘Allahu Akbar’.”
Police have not suggested a motive for the attack in Nice. However, it follows days of protests in some Muslim-majority countries triggered by President Macron’s defence of the publication of cartoons that depicted the Prophet Mohammed.
This follows the beheading in Paris of a Teacher, a few weeks back, who showed images of Muslim Prophet Mohammad during a lesson on freedom of expression.
Two other attacks took place on Thursday, another one in France and one in Saudi Arabia.
A man was shot dead in Montfavet near Avignon, a southern French city, after threatening police with a handgun.
In Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, a guard was attacked outside the French consulate. A suspect was arrested and the guard taken to hospital.
This is not the first time that Nice has experienced a terror attack. In 2016, 86 people were killed when a man drove a truck into crowds of people celebrating Bastille Day.
