‘They slit his throat then preached in Arabic’: Nun’s horror as sick ISIS fiends butcher priest at the altar
Adel Kermiche, 19, and another attacker burst into church to commit atrocity before being gunned down by cops in northern France
TWO ISIS fanatics forced an 85-year-old priest to kneel by his altar yesterday then slashed his throat.
They filmed Jacques Hamel’s murder after storming his church during morning mass and taking five hostages.
The killers, called “soldiers” by IS, were shot dead as they fled the church near Rouen, France.
Terror expert Dr Razaq Raj said: “They’re not soldiers — they are the most evil cowards.”
One of the killers was later named as known terror suspect Adel Kermiche, 19.
A distraught nun has described how she watched the Islamist maniacs carry out the barbaric execution before preaching a sermon in Arabic.
Made a radical by a jihadi monster
ADEL Kermiche became radicalised in just three months and was pals with a French jihadi involved in the beheading of Americans in Syria, it has emerged.
French security sources said he had met notorious Maxime Hauchard, 24, close to his home village in Normandy. It raised the possibility Kermiche was inspired to carry out yesterday’s horrific attack by Hauchard.
The son of a professor, Kermiche had been a normal sports-mad Simpsons fan who loved Rihanna.
But he became radical after the slaughter at satirical mag Charlie Hebdo in Paris in January last year, which left 12 staff dead.
The knifeman forced the 85-year-old to his knees beside his church’s altar before murdering him as his accomplice videoed the atrocity.
The nun, Sister Danielle said: “Everybody was shouting, ‘Stop’.
“He attacked Jacques and made him kneel so that he almost made him fall.
“That’s when I fled. He was busy setting about him with the knife and he didn’t see me leave.”
The two fanatics stormed into the church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, northern France, through a rear door shortly after 9.30am during morning mass.
They grabbed Father Hamel along with two nuns and two parishioners.
Sister Danielle said one of the attackers “gave a kind of little sermon in Arabic standing by the altar”.
Both killers were shot dead by police as they ran from the church shouting “Allahu Akbar”.
Two of the hostages were wounded in the attack on the church. One was critical yesterday.
The French authorities have admitted the attackers were known terrorist suspects — sparking questions over why they had not been under surveillance.
One was named by security sources as 19-year-old Adel Kermiche.
He lived near the church with his parents and had only been out of jail since March 22.
Father Jacques was a good man and treasured by everyone
EULALIE GARCIA
Kermiche had been seized in Turkey during his second attempt to reach IS.
He was returned to France and jailed on terror charges.
He was freed on probation and tagged.
But despite his known terror links he was somehow allowed to go unsupervised between 8.30am and 12.30pm daily.
His accomplice was also said to live locally and was named on a list of suspected extremists.
The revelation of the lapse triggered outrage across France, where the authorities have been heavily criticised for security failings in previous IS-linked killings.
After the terrorists were shot by police, one was found to be wearing an explosive belt while the other had a fake bomb.
Prosecutor Francois Molins said they had used three of the hostages as human shields.
He added: “Police attempted to enter the church but could not because three hostages were being used as a barrier by the doors.
“Shortly afterwards the three hostages left the church followed by the two terrorists who were carrying handheld weapons.
“They shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ and were attacked by the police.
“One of the attackers was found to be carrying an explosive belt made of aluminium paper and three knives.
“And another carried a weapon covered in aluminium foil.
“He was also carrying a backpack in which was found a fake explosive device.”
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Father Hamel was only at the church because he was covering for a priest who was on holiday.
The veteran cleric was a local man who was yesterday described as a “quiet pillar of the community”.
Eulalie Garcia, who works in a beauty salon near the church, said: “He was someone who was treasured by the community.
“He was very discreet and didn’t like to draw attention to himself.”
Another local parishioner said: “This was a man who did his job to the very end.
“He was old, but always available for everyone. He was a good priest.”
Father Moanda-Phuati, priest at the neighbouring Eglise St Etienne, said of his murdered colleague: “He was a courageous priest.
“Priests have the right to retire at 75 but he preferred to work in the service of the people because he still felt strong.”
Another local cleric described Father Hamel as “a ray of sunshine”.
Father Aime Remi Mputu Amba said: “I often told him, jokingly, ‘Jacques, you are getting on a bit, it’s time to take your pension’. To which he replied, laughing, ‘Have you ever seen a retired pastor? I will work until my last breath’.”
French president Francois Hollande yesterday visited the community, where Father Hamel was seeing out his retirement.
The church at St-Etienne-du-Rouvray was on a hit list found on suspected IS thug Sid Ahmed Ghlam last year.
The Algerian computer student, 24, was arrested when he called an ambulance in Paris after shooting himself in the leg.
Police found an arsenal of weapons in Ghlam’s car and at his student accommodation — including Kalashnikovs, a pistol, and bullet-proof vests.
Documents at his flat suggested he had been ordered by IS in Syria to target the Sacre-Couer basilica in Paris and a church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray.
A 17-year-old relative of Kermiche’s was arrested yesterday at his home in the Rouen suburb.
French Interior Ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet said of the attack: “I will not talk about the motives of these individuals.
“I cannot tell you more about the persons who have been seriously injured and who have been assassinated, for the simple reason investigations are ongoing and the sniffer dogs are carrying out their work.
“We face a dramatic situation again, less than two weeks after the Nice tragedy.”
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