French city mourns victims of church stabbings

The southern French city of nice was in mourning on Friday for the three people stabbed to death in a suspected jihadist attack at a church.

A makeshift memorial has been set up outside the Notre-dame basilica, where people have placed flowers and lit candles for the victims.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday’s stabbings were an Islamist terrorist attack.

He is to hold an emergency meeting with senior ministers on Friday.

Meanwhile, security has been stepped up at places of worship and schools across France following two similar attacks within two weeks.

Earlier this month a teacher was beheaded in a Paris suburb after showing controversial cartoons of the prophet Muhammad to some of his pupils.

In the meantime, A Tunisian man who killed three people in a church in France only recently arrived in Europe.

The suspect had an Italian Red Cross document, issued after he arrived on the Italian Island of Lampedusa by migrant boat last month.

He was shot by police and is in a critical condition.

The French chief anti-terrorism prosecutor said one of the victims was virtually beheaded.

President Emmanuel Macron said it was an Islamist terrorist attack.

Mr Macron said the number of soldiers being deployed to protect public places such as churches and schools would rise from 3,000 to 7,000.

Anti-terror prosecutors have opened an investigation, and France has raised its national security alert to the highest level.