Spain: 1 lifeless in church machete assaults, terror hyperlink probed

The assault began round 7 p.m. when the armed man went into the San Isidro church and assaulted a priest, who was significantly injured, the ministry stated.

The assailant then went to a second church, the Nuestra Señora de La Palma — a five-minute stroll away — the place he entered and continued his rampage, assaulting the sexton. The sexton, whose job it’s to care for the church and its upkeep. fled exterior the place the attacker dealt him the mortal wounds in a public sq., the ministry stated.

The Algeciras city corridor stated the sexton was named Diego Valencia and recognized the wounded priest as Antonio Rodríguez. The city corridor stated he was hospitalized and in steady situation.

Native media reported that no less than three different folks have been injured.

Spain’s Nationwide Court docket stated a decide has opened an investigation right into a doable act of terrorism.

Police are investigating the incident, the inside ministry stated, to find out the “nature of the assault.” It supplied no additional element on the attacker’s doable motive.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez joined the outpouring of condolences.

“I wish to specific my sincerest condolences for the households of the sexton slain within the horrible assault in Algeciras,” Sánchez wrote on Twitter. “I want the injured a swift restoration.”

The secretary common of Spain’s Episcopal Convention, Francisco García, wrote on Twitter that “I’ve acquired the information of the incident in Algeciras with nice ache.”

“These are unhappy moments of struggling, we’re united by the ache of households of the victims and for the Diocese of Cádiz,” he added.

Algeciras is close to the southern tip of Spain, resting throughout from a bay from Gibraltar. It’s dwelling to an essential port with ferry connections to northern Africa.

The city corridor declared a day of mourning when flags will fly at half-staff.

“We’re all surprised by these acts, which have stuffed us with ache,” Mayor José Landaluce stated. “Algeciras has all the time been a metropolis the place harmony and tolerance reign, regardless of incidents like this that create a picture that doesn’t correspond to actuality.”