France knife attack Highlights: PM Castex raises alert to ’emergency’ after killings in Nice

A top UN official has strongly condemned the "barbaric attack" in a French church on Thursday, stressing that such heinous acts targeting civilians, including worshippers, are intolerable and "utterly unjustifiable".

High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) Miguel Moratinos "strongly condemns the barbaric attack" that killed three people -- two women and a man -- at the Notre-Dame Basilica in the city of Nice on the southeast coast of France.

Moratinos "stresses that such heinous attacks targeting civilians, including worshippers, are intolerable and utterly unjustifiable whenever, wherever and by whomsoever committed," a statement issued by the spokesperson for the High Representative said.

I just spoke with the Managing Director of Twitter France. The account of former Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad must be immediately suspended. If not, Twitter would be an accomplice to a formal call for murder: Cédric O, Secretary of State for Digital Sector of France

French President Emmanuel Macron said he would immediately increase the number of soldiers deployed to protect schools and religious sites from around 3,000 currently to 7,000. French churches have been ferociously attacked by extremists in recent years, and Thursday’s killings come ahead of the Roman Catholic All Saints’ holiday. 

I strongly condemn the recent terrorist attacks in France, including today's heinous attack in Nice inside a church. Our deepest and heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and the people of France. India stands with France in the fight against terrorism.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 29, 2020

(Source: AP)

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad took to Twitter to state that 'Muslims have a right to be angry and to kill millions of French people for the massacres of the past'. Mohamad tweeted a thread of tweets in which he supported the killings of French people.

12. Muslims have a right to be angry and to kill millions of French people for the massacres of the past.

— Dr Mahathir Mohamad (@chedetofficial) October 29, 2020

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) chief Jens Stoltenberg condemned knife attack in France's Nice Thursday.  "I condemn the horrific attack in Nice. My deepest condolences to their loved ones and the French people. Hatred has no place in our societies and NATO stands with our Ally France," Stoltenberg said. 

I condemn the horrific attack in #Nice. My deepest condolences to their loved ones and the French people. Hatred has no place in our societies & #NATO stands with our Ally France.

— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) October 29, 2020

This was a callous attack in Nice this morning and my thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.

I stand with our neighbours in France at this tragic time. https://t.co/Ubrk1BPfo9

— Priti Patel (@pritipatel) October 29, 2020

Expressing mourning for the victims of the attack, Pope Francis tweeted in support of the French people. "I am close to the Catholic community of #Nice, mourning the attack that sowed death in a place of prayer and consolation. I pray for the victims, for their families and for the beloved French people, that they may respond to evil with good," he said. 

I am close to the Catholic community of #Nice, mourning the attack that sowed death in a place of prayer and consolation. I pray for the victims, for their families and for the beloved French people, that they may respond to evil with good.

— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) October 29, 2020

France's prime minister Jean Castex says the country's threat level will be raised to its maximum after an attack near a church killed three people Thursday in Nice.

The move comes just hours before the country was going into its second coronavirus lockdown.

An attacker armed with a knife killed three people at a church Thursday in the Mediterranean city of Nice, French authorities said.

It was the third attack in two months in France amid a growing furor over caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad that were re-published by the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo.

Other confrontations and attacks were reported Thursday in the southern city of Avignon and in the Saudi city of Jiddah, but it was not immediately clear if they were linked to the attack in Nice. Sounds of explosions could be heard as sappers exploded suspicious objects. (AP)

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson took to Twitter to express his country's solidarity with the French people. "I am appalled to hear the news from Nice this morning of a barbaric attack at the Notre-Dame Basilica. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families, and the UK stands steadfastly with France against terror and intolerance," stated Johnson. 

I am appalled to hear the news from Nice this morning of a barbaric attack at the Notre-Dame Basilica. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families, and the UK stands steadfastly with France against terror and intolerance.

— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) October 29, 2020

French President Emmanuel Macron will travel to Nice  after participating in a crisis meeting at the Interior Ministry, the Elysee Palace has said. The country's Prime Minister Jean Castex led lawmakers in a moment of silence at the National Assembly on Thursday morning  news of the incident broke.

Nice’s mayor, Christian Estrosi, who described the attack as terrorism, said on Twitter it had happened in or near Notre Dame church, the largest in the city. Estrosi said the attacker had repeatedly shouted the phrase “Allahu Akbar”, or God is greatest, even after he had been detained by police.

One of the people killed inside the church was believed to be the church warden, Estrosi said, adding that a woman had tried to escape from inside the church and had fled into a bar opposite the 19th century neo-Gothic building.

“The suspected knife attacker was shot by police while being detained, he is on his way to hospital, he is alive,” Estrosi told reporters ...Enough is enough... It’s time now for France to exonerate itself from the laws of peace in order to definitively wipe out Islamo-fascism from our territory.”

A Saudi man was arrested in Jeddah after attacking a guard with a “sharp tool” at the French consulate on Thursday, Reuters quoted Saudi state TV as saying.

This development comes hours after a woman was beheaded by an attacker with a knife who also killed two other people at a church in the French city of Nice on Thursday, in an incident the city’s mayor described as terrorism. READ MORE