Three people were killed this Thursday in a knife attack at a church in Nice, France. The incident, which is being investigated as a terrorist attack, was condemned by the Pope and several governments in Europe. The attack has led France to raise security levels throughout the country.
The suspected terrorist attack comes two weeks after the beheading of a teacher at the hands of an Islamist. The perpetrator of the attack was a 21-year-old young man, Brahim Aioussaoi. Aioussaoi was taken to a hospital after being wounded by the police.
The attack happened at Notre-Dame basilica, in the heart of Nice. That city on the French Riviera was the target of a jihadist attack four years ago that left 86 victims.
Two of the victims are a man and a woman who were murdered inside the basilica. The third victim, seriously injured, managed to flee to a neighboring bar, but died shortly after, police sources told AFP. The French antiterrorist prosecutor's office opened an investigation after the attack on Thursday for "murder and attempted murder linked to a terrorist company" and "terrorist criminal conspiracy". Once the perpetrator was detained, local police did find other weapons on him, according to BBC. "On the attacker we found a Koran and two telephones, the knife of the crime - 30cm (12in) with a cutting edge of 17cm. We also found a bag left by the attacker. Next to this bag were two knives that were not used in the attack," French chief anti-terrorist prosecutor Jean-François Ricard stated.
