'I left when they began to attack Father Jacques': Terrified nun tells how she managed to escape ISIS jihadis - as it's revealed victim was covering for regular priest who was on HOLIDAY ISIS knifemen sneaked into the church and beheaded priest Jaques Hamel She managed to escape the attack in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray,

French police shot dead two terrorists after they filmed horror attack
Terror victim was only at church covering because regular priest was away
They performed a sermon in Arabic at the alter before carrying out execution
Adel K, 19, forced priest, 84, to his knees before taking a knife to his throat

A nun who survived a terror attack in which a priest was beheaded by ISIS butchers has given a chilling eye-witness account of her escape.

She was at the church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray near Reuen, Normandy, during morning Mass when the terrorists crept in, but managed to escape before the clergyman was murdered.

A 19-year-old known only as Adel K forced priest Jaques Hamel, 84, to his knees before taking a knife to his throat and attacking one of four other hostages which included two nuns and two parishioners.

It is understood Father Jaques was only at the church conducting morning mass because he was covering for the regular priest who was on holiday.

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It is understood Father Hamel was only at the church conducting morning mass because he was covering for the regular priest who was on holiday



Having taken five people hostage, including man of the cloth Jaques Hamel, 84, two nuns and two parishioners, the priest was killed and one of the nuns is fighting for her life in hospital

The woman, who wished to remain anonymous when talking to Le Figaro, said: 'They came suddenly. They took space. They spoke Arabic. I saw a knife.

'I left when they began to attack the father Jacques. I do not even know if they realized that I was leaving.'

She said she was being supported by the critical incident stress management team and was waiting for news on her friend who was injured in the attack.

The terrorists reportedly shouted 'Allahu Akbar' before filming themselves carrying out the sick attack.

They were both shot dead by police.

A policeman cordons the site next to the body of one of the two men who stormed a French church



A nun who survived a terror attack in which a priest was beheaded by ISIS butchers has given a chilling eye-witness account of her escape A nun who was in the church during Tuesday's attack said the priest was forced to the ground before his throat was slit.

'They forced him to his knees. He wanted to defend himself. And that's when the tragedy happened,' said the nun, identified as Sister Danielle.

'They recorded themselves. They did a sort of sermon around the altar, in Arabic. It's a horror,' she told BFM television.

Of her fallen colleague, she said: 'He was a great priest.'

It has since emerged that one of the two ISIS knifemen was a convicted terrorist and was meant to be living with his parents with an electronic tag.

The pair took the 86-year-old priest, two nuns and two parishioners hostage at the church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray near Rouen in Normandy during morning mass at 9.45am, killing the priest and critically injuring another hostage.

One of the terrorists, a 19-year-old Frenchman who lived close to the church, is said to have left for Syria in 2015 to try and join Islamic State, but he was arrested.

He was jailed for terrorist offences following a short trial in France, before being released on March 2 this year.




It has since emerged that one of the two ISIS knifemen was a convicted terrorist and was meant to be living with his parents with an electronic tag

He had tried travelling to Syria to join ISIS twice, but failed both times.

On his first attempt as a 17-year-old, he attempted to travel to the war-torn Middle East via Munich, but was sent back to France.

The second time he tried, he got kicked out of Turkey and was sent back to Switzerland where he was arrested at Geneva airport on May 14 last year.



After his second failure, he was jailed for a few days in in the prison of Champ-Dollon in Swizterland before being extradited to France and convicted of conspiracy to prepare acts of terrorism.

His conditions included returning to live with his parents, wearing an electronic tag, and reporting to his local police station.

But this did not stop him becoming involved in today's atrocity, in which Father Jacques Hamel, 86, had his throat cut.

According to his bail conditions, the electronically tagged terrorist was allowed out unsupervised between 8.30am and 12.30pm.

Today's attack took place between 9.45am and 11am.

The astonishing revelation - made to the French TV news channel I-Tele - will cause further outrage in a country devastated by constant security failings.

It comes as it also emerged that the building was one of a number of Catholic churches on a terrorist 'hit list' found on a suspected ISIS extremist last April.



One of the terrorists, a 19-year-old Frenchman who lived close to the church, is said to have left for Syria in 2015 to try and join Islamic State, but he was arrested

The two attackers were shot dead by police commandoes during the siege at Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray this morning, and their identities are already known to the authorities.

Neither of the Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray attackers have yet been named.

ISIS has already claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement published by its Aamaq news agency.

It said the killing was carried out by 'two soldiers of the Islamic State'.

It added the killing was in response to its calls to target countries of the US-led coalition which is fighting ISIS.

The Paris prosecutor's office said this afternoon that one person has been detained in the investigation but gave no details on the identity or location.

The spokeswoman spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.

This afternoon, a third man was arrested in connection with the attack after police raided a house near the church.

He is thought to be a 17-year-old relative of Adel K's known only as HB.

Wearing a white t-shirt and tracksuit bottoms, he was led away in hancuffs by a special police team.

The officers were armed with military gear and assault rifles.



This afternoon, a third man was arrested in connection with the attack after police raided a house near the church



Wearing a white t-shirt and tracksuit bottoms, he was led away in hancuffs by a special police team



The officers were armed with military gear and assault rifles as they led away Adel K's 17-year-old relative known only as HB



A priest, two nuns and two churchgoers were among those held after the men rushed into the church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, in Normandy, France, during a morning service, soon after 9am.






French president Francois Hollande (pictured embracing the town's mayor Hubert Wulfranc) said France is 'at war' with ISIS while the terror group has claimed responsibility for the killing

French President Francois Hollande, visiting the scene of the attack, appealed for 'unity' in France, where political blame-trading has poisoned the aftermath of the Nice truck attack, the third major strike in the country in 18 months.

'The threat remains very high,' said Hollande. 'We are confronted with a group, Daesh, which has declared war on us. We have to wage war by every means, (but through) upholding the law, which is because we are a democracy.'

Pope Francis has expressed his 'pain and horror' at the incident with a spokesman saying the Pontiff was appalled by the 'barbaric killing' because it happened in a sacred place.

An Italian politician is urging The Pope to put the slain French priest, the Rev Jacques Hamel, on a fast track for sainthood.

Roberto Maroni, the president of the Lombard region, said in an appeal circulated on social media that 'Father Jacques is a martyr of faith' and requested that the pope 'immediately proclaim him St. Jacques.'

Shortly after the appeal, the hashtag #santosubito, which translates as 'saint immediately,' began circulating on Twitter.

The canonization process is a lengthy one involving two miracles attributed to the person's intercession, but in the case of a martyr only one miracle is needed, after beatification.

There must first be a declaration by the Vatican that the person indeed died for the faith.



She said she was being supported by the critical incident stress management team and was waiting for news on her friend who was injured in the attack

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said: 'Evil attacks the weakest, denies truth and love, is defeated through Jesus Christ. Pray for France, for victims, for their communities.'

And his Prime Minister Theresa May said Britain would 'stand shoulder to shoulder with France' as she spoke in Downing Street, adding a terrorist attack in the UK was 'highly likely'.

She said: 'What is necessary is for us all to work together, and stand shoulder to shoulder with France.

'We offer them every support we have in dealing with this issue and this threat that they, and the rest of us, are facing.

'But on one thing, I think, we are all absolutely clear, and that is the terrorists will not prevail.

'They are trying to destroy our way of life. They are trying to destroy our values. We have shared values and those values will win through and the terrorists will not win.'

The United States has also condemned the attack in the 'strongest possible terms'.

White House spokesman Ned Price said: 'France and the United States are committed to protecting religious liberty for all faiths.

'That commitment will not waver because of Tuesday's attack in the small northwestern town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray.'

Price also commended what he said was the 'quick and decisive response' by French law enforcement.



The attack heaped yet more pressure on Hollande to regain control of national security, with France already under a state of emergency 10 months ahead of a presidential election in which he is widely expected to seek a second term

But the attack heaped yet more pressure on Hollande to regain control of national security, with France already under a state of emergency 10 months ahead of a presidential election in which he is widely expected to seek a second term.

The Normandy attack came less than two weeks after a 31-year-old Tunisian, Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, ploughed his heavy goods truck into a crowd of revellers in the French Riviera city of Nice, killing 84 people. Islamic State claimed that attack.

'Everything is being done to trigger a war of religions,' tweeted Jean-Pierre Raffarin, a former conservative prime minister who now heads the Senate's foreign affairs committee.

Hollande visited the Normandy town with Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, meeting survivors of the church attack and members of the emergency services.

Cazeneuve has come under fire from conservative politicians for not doing enough to prevent the Nice attack, which prompted lawmakers to approve a six-month extension of emergency rule.

Ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy, expected to enter a conservative primary soon for next year's presidential election, jumped on the latest incident to accuse the Socialist government of being soft on terrorism.

'We must be merciless,' Sarkozy said in a statement to reporters.

'The legal quibbling, precautions and pretexts for insufficient action are not acceptable.

'I demand that the government implement without delay the proposals we presented months ago. There is no more time to be wasted.'






The centre-right opposition wants the government to put all Islamist suspects subject to a confidential security notice under administrative detention to avert potential attacks

The centre-right opposition wants the government to put all Islamist suspects subject to a confidential security notice under administrative detention to avert potential attacks.

Far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen, also expected to run for the presidency, said both major parties had failed on security.

'All those who have governed us for 30 years bear an immense responsibility. It's revolting to watch them bickering.' she said on Twitter.

Hollande insisted that the government must stick to the rule of law, which was what the hallmark of a democracy.



French security services have been regularly criticised for the way they allow known terrorists their freedom after being found guilty of crimes.

KILLING IS LATEST IN SPATE OF BLOODY ATTACKS ACROSS EUROPE


Today's attack is the latest to hit Europe in what has been a year of bloodshed on the continent:

July 24: Festival suicide bombing - A failed Syrian asylum seeker set off an explosive device near an open-air music festival in the southern city of Ansbach that killed himself and wounded a dozen others.

The 27-year-old had spent time in a psychiatric facility, while the regional authorities said an there was 'likely' a jihadist motive for the attack.

However a spokesman for the interior ministry later said there was as yet 'no credible evidence' of a link to Islamic extremism.

July 24: Knife attack - A Syrian refugee was arrested after killing a Polish woman with a large kebab knife at a snack bar in the southwestern city of Reutlingen, in an incident police said did not bear the hallmarks of a 'terrorist attack' and was more likely a crime of passion.

Three people were also injured in the assault, which ended when the 21-year-old assailant was deliberately struck by a BMW driver, believed to be the snack bar owner's son, trying to stop the man.



People mourn in front of candles and flowers near the Olympia shopping mall in Munich, southern Germany, where an 18-year-old German-Iranian student ran amok on a shooting spree on July 22

July 22: Munich mall mass shooting - David Ali Sonboly, 18, shot dead nine people at a Munich shopping mall before turning the gun on himself, having spent a year planning the rampage.

Police said that the German-Iranian was 'obsessed' with mass killers like Norwegian right-wing fanatic Anders Behring Breivik and had no links to the Islamic State group.
July 18: Train axe attack - A 17-year-old migrant wielding an axe and a knife went on a rampage on a regional train, seriously injuring four members of a tourist family from Hong Kong and a German passer-by.

ISIS group subsequently released a video purportedly featuring the assailant, named by media as Riaz Khan Ahmadzai, announcing he would carry out an 'operation' in Germany, and presenting himself as a 'soldier of the caliphate'.
He is believed to have been Afghan or Pakistani.

July 14: Tunisian Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel ploughed a truck into a crowd of people celebrating Bastille Day in the French Riviera city of Nice, killing 84 people and injuring over 300. The Nice attack was the third major strike on France in 18 months and was claimed by ISIS.

March 22: Suicide attacks claimed by ISIS kill 32 people and wound more than 300 at the Brussels airport and Maelbeek metro station, near European Union offices. They appear to have been carried out by members of the same cell that committed attacks in Paris four months earlier.

November 13, 2015: Coordinated suicide attacks in Paris kill 130 people and wound more than 350 at the Bataclan concert hall, cafes and the national stadium. ISIS claims responsibility for the attacks.