A parish priest has been killed after having his throat cut by two knife-wielding hostage-takers who stormed a French church in a suspected terror attack.
The two attackers entered the Church of the Gambetta at around 9.45am local time (8.45am UK time) during morning prayers.
It has since emerged the church was on a 'kill list' of a suspected ISIS terrorist arrested in Paris last April for allegedly plotting "imminent attacks" in France.
They took the priest, two nuns and two worshippers hostage and local media reports suggest the knifemen shouted a message in support of Islamic State as they launched the attack.
A third nun is said to have escaped the siege, in Rouen, Normandy, and raised the alarm.
The hour-long armed stand-off was ended when the hostage-takers were shot dead.
Police found the body of the priest - named locally as 84-year-old Jacques Hamel - inside the church. Another worshipper is said to have been seriously injured.
The incident is being treated as a suspect terror attack and the anti-terror of the French prosecutor's office have now launched an investigation into the attack.
France's Interior Ministry confirmed the priest and two hostage-takers had died at the scene. A local police source said the men stormed a back entrance of the church before taking the hostages.
Police blocked off the roads around the church as nearby residents were told to stay indoors.
France's Interior Ministry confirmed the priest and two hostage-takers had died at the scene. A local police source said the men stormed a back entrance of the church before taking the hostages.
Police blocked off the roads around the church as nearby residents were told to stay indoors.
Mirror.co.uk
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