| 2016 Normandy church attack | |
|---|---|
| Part of Terrorism in France & Islamic terrorism in Europe | |
 St-Étienne church, where the attack took place | |
| Location | Church of Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray Normandy, France |
| Coordinates | 49°22′57″N 1°06′25″E / 49.382633°N 1.106940°E, |
| Date | 26 July 2016 09:43 CEST (UTC+2) |
| Target | Attendees of Catholic Mass |
Attack type | knife attack, hostage-taking |
| Weapons | Knives |
| Deaths | 3 (Hamel and both perpetrators) |
| Injured | 1 |
| Perpetrators | Adel Kermiche Abdel Malik Petitjean |
| Motive | Islamist terrorism |
49°22′57″N 1°06′25″E / 49.382633°N 1.106940°E
On 26 July 2016, two Islamist terrorists attacked participants in a Mass at a Catholic church in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray, Normandy, northern France. Wielding knives and wearing fake explosive belts, the men took six people captive and later killed one of them, 85-year-old priest Jacques Hamel, by slitting his throat, and also critically wounded an 86-year-old man.[1][2][3] The terrorists were shot dead by BRI police as they tried to leave the church.
The attackers, 19-year-olds Adel Kermiche and Abdel Malik Petitjean, had pledged allegiance to Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, which claimed responsibility for the attack.[4][5]
- ^ "Police in French priest murder case investigating meassage app link". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Guardian03was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "EN DIRECT - Prêtre égorgé près de Rouen : les deux terroristes se sont réclamés de Daech". Le Figaro. 26 July 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
- ^ "France church attack: Priest killed in hostage-taking near Rouen". BBC News. 26 July 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
- ^ Attentats en France : ce que l'on sait de Rachid Kassim, membre présumé de l'EI sur france24.com le 12 septembre 2016.