Three people have been killed today in a French city Nice during the knife attack which happened in the Notre Dame Basilica. The local mayor Christian Estrosi said that the attacker repeatedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” (God is Great). French President Emmanuel Macron told the public that it was an “Islamist terrorist attack”.
The attacker was shot by the police, but survived and was taken into custody. He killed three people, decapitating and elderly woman and cutting the throat of an elderly man inside the church. The third victim managed to escape to a nearby cafe, but died later from the stabbing wounds.
Two other attacks also took place, another in France, and one in Saudi Arabia. A man was shoot dead in French city of Avignon, after he threated the police with a handgun and a guard was attacked by a man outside the French the consulate in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. The guard was hospitalized and the suspect was arrested.
Anti-terror prosecutors are investigating the attack in Nice, and France has raised its national security alert to its highest level.
This is not the first time that Nice was the scene of an Islamist terrorist attack. Four years ago on 14 July, a Tunisian drove a truck into the crowd who was attending Bastille Day celebration, killing 86 people.
(VIDEO) Nice attack: Moment armed police enter church after knifeman kills three people