How Europe became a continent in crisis after hundreds of victims were killed in 24 terror attacks
Killing of Catholic priest on church's altar is the latest in a growing list of sickening atrocities
THE horrific incident in the French town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, Normandy is the latest in a long list of terror-related attacks which have blighted Europe over the past two years.
France and Germany have been two of the worst-hit countries with five separate assaults in this month alone.
Starting in May 2014, the seemingly never-ending attacks have left hundreds of innocent people dead and security forces across the continent stretched to their limits.
1. Brussels, Belgium - May 24, 2014: Gunmen open fire at the Jewish Museum in Brussels, killing four.
2. Tours, France - December 20, 2014: A man yelling Allahu Akbar attacked a police officer with a knife before being killed. Three police were injured.
3. Dijon, France - December 21, 2014: Eleven people are run over by a man yelling Allahu Akbar. Two are seriously injured.
4. Nantes, France - December 22 2014: A man in the French city of Nantes ran over ten pedestrians in his white van at the city's Christmas market. He then attempted suicide by stabbing himself. One person was pronounced clinically dead the following day.
5. Paris, France - January 7–9, 2015: Gunmen attacked the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, killing 11.
The magazine was targeted because it had run a cartoon depicting the prophet Muhammad. Five more were killed in a series of shootings around Île-de-France and following a hostage situation at a kosher supermarket in Porte de Vincennes.
The three attackers were killed while 22 civilians were injured. The attacks were claimed by the Yemeni branch of Al-Qaeda.
6. Copenhagen, Denmark - February 14–15, 2015: A gunman opened fire at the Krudttoenden cafe and later at the Great Synagogue in Copenhagen, killing two civilians and injuring another five.
7. Paris, France - April 19, 2015: A 32-year-old French woman is murdered by a gunman whose plot to attack a church is foiled after he accidentally shoots himself in the leg with one of his arsenal of weapons.
8. Zvornik, Bosnia and Herzegovina - April 27, 2015: A Wahhabist extremist opens fire on Zvornik police station, killing one and injuring two others. He was shot dead by officers returning fire.
9. Diyarbakır, Turkey - June 5 - 2015: Four are killed and more than 100 injured when two bombs are let off at a Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) rally.
10. Lyon, France - June 26, 2015: A factory worker is beheaded and his head marked with Arabic writing and Islamist flags.
11. Thalys train, France - August 21, 2015: Three Americans and a Brit thwart an Islamist terrorist's attack on a Thalys train from Paris to Amsterdam with an assault rifle. The group subdue the man as he prepared to fire the automatic weapon. Five receive minor injuries.
12. Ankara, Turkey - October 10, 2015: ISIS bombing leaves 102 dead and more than 400 injured in the Turkish capital.
13. Paris, France - November 13, 2015: The deadliest event on French soil since the Second World War. 130 were killed and nearly 400 wounded after suicide bombers attacked the Bataclan theatre with machine guns as revellers watched a rock concert.
A separate team of Islamist bombers attacked roadside cafe's around the French capital and one blew himself up outside the Stade de France as the hosts played Germany in an international friendly.
14. Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina - November 18, 2015: Lone wolf Islamist kills two soldiers and injures five in the Bosnian capital.
15. Dagestan, Russia - December 29, 2015: – ISIS claim responsibility after a gunman opens fire on local residents in the southern Russian city. One is killed and 11 injured.
16. Paris, France - January 7, 2016: An Islamist attacks French police with a meat cleaver while wearing a fake suicide bomb belt. He was shot dead.
17. Marseille, France - January 11, 2016: A teacher is severely injured after an ISIS-inspired 15-year-old pupil attacks him with a meat cleaver at a Jewish school.
18. Brussels, Belgium - March 22, 2016: Two suicide bombings at Brussels' Zaventem airport and one on the city's metro network leaves 35 dead and wounds more than 300. ISIS claim responsibility for the deadly attack.
19. Magnanville, France - June 14, 2016: A police officer and his wife were stabbed to death by a man swearing allegiance to ISIS.
20. Nice, France - July 14, 2016: A 31-year-old French Tunisian swearing allegiance to ISIS drove a truck along Nice's promenade, running over Bastille Day Revellers. He was shot dead after making it 2km along the seaside walkway.
By the end of his murderous rampage, 84 lay dead and dying with hundreds injured.
21. Wurzburg, Germany - July 18, 2016: A 17-year-old Afghan asylum seeker attacked commuters on a packed train with an axe and knife. Four of the five injured were from a group of Hong Kong tourists. Police shot dead the attacker.
22. Munich, Germany - July 21, 2016: Teenage gunman David Ali Sonboly killed nine people, many of them teenagers, in a shooting spree at a shopping mall before turning his Glock pistol on himself.
23. Ansbach, Germany - July 24, 2016: Suicide bomber Mohammed Deleel detonated his device after failing to get into a music festival in the German town. He had earlier sworn loyalty to ISIS. He was the only fatality but four were seriously injured.
24. Rouen, France - July 26, 2016: A Catholic priest's throat was slit at the altar of a church in the Normandy town. A nun was also seriously injured with three more taken hostage.
ISIS's Amaq propaganda network claimed the two perpetrators were "soldiers of Islam". They were shot dead as they emerged from the church.
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