2 Men Dead After Taking Hostages, Killing Priest During Terror Attack at Church in France (UPDATE)

Two men were shot dead by police after taking hostages and killing a priest during a suspected terror attack at a church near Normandy, France.

Image via New York Times

UPDATED 4:40 p.m. E.T.:

Two men were shot and killed by police after they entered a Catholic church, took five hostages, and killed a priest by slitting his throat near Normandy, France on Tuesday morning, according to French officials. The violent attack took place during a morning mass after which the men reportedly walked into the church in the town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray and took the priest, later identified as 86-year-old Rev. Jacques Hamel, two nuns, and two churchgoers hostage. One of the hostages was reportedly critically injured during the attack.

The men who carried out the attack have not yet been identified, but French president François Hollande told reporters the attack was conducted by "two terrorists in the name of Daesh," which is another name for ISIS.

The attack was later described by Hollande as "an act of terrorism carried out by two followers of Islamic State," according to the Guardian. The group also reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack via an affiliated news agency.

France’s Prime Minister Manuel Valls released a statement a short time after the incident and called it "a barbaric attack on a church." He also said "the whole of France and all Catholics are wounded." Vatican spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi released a statement as well and indicated Pope Francis was horrified by the news about the attack. The Pope issued "the most severe condemnation of all forms of hatred."

The New York Timesis reporting that the Paris prosecutor’s office, which is typically in charge of handling all counter-terrorism matters in France, has already announced that it will lead the investigation into the church attack. The attack comes less than two weeks after a man drove a cargo truck into a Bastille Day crowd in Nice, France and killed 84 people.

This story is still developing.

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