Two dead in knife attack inside French basilica

CNA Staff, Oct 29, 2020 / 03:40 am (CNA).- An attacker killed two people at a church in Nice and wounded others, the mayor of the French city said Thursday.

The incident took place at the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Nice Oct. 29 at around 9am local time, according to French media.

Christian Estrosi, Nice’s mayor, said that the perpetrator, who was armed with a knife, was arrested by the municipal police.

He wrote on Twitter that two people were killed inside the basilica. He paid tribute to the church’s guardian who he said was “so appreciated by the parishioners.”

In another tweet, he wrote: “I confirm that everything suggests a terrorist attack in the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Nice.”

Bouleversé par les 3 victimes dont 2 décédées a l’intérieur de la Basilique #NotreDame et notamment le gardien si apprécié par les paroissiens. #Nice06 a payé un trop lourd tribu au meme titre que notre pays depuis quelques années. J’appelle à l’unité des Niçois.

— Christian Estrosi (@cestrosi) October 29, 2020

The basilica, completed in 1868, is the largest church in Nice, but is not the city’s cathedral.

Archbishop Éric de Moulins-Beaufort, president of the French bishops’ conference, wrote on Twitter that he was praying for Catholics in Nice and for their bishop, Bishop André Marceau.

 

Drame à Nice. Ma prière pour les victimes et leurs proches. Dimanche, pour la Toussaint, nous entendrons le Seigneur : Heureux les artisans de paix, ils seront appelés fils de Dieu. Heureux si l'on vous persecute à cause de moi. Car votre récompense sera grande dans les cieux.

— Mgr de Moulins-Beaufort (@Mgr_EMB) October 29, 2020

 

The attack follows the beheading of a Paris school teacher in an Islamist terror attack earlier this month.

Estrosi said that he had spoken to Emmanuel Macron about the incident and that the French president would visit Nice late morning.

This is a developing story and is being updated.