Three people were killed in a knife attack in Nice, France on Thursday, including a woman who was decapitated, at a church, police said. Several others were injured in the attack The city's mayor Christian Estrosi described it as an incident of terrorism. French politician Marine Le Pen also spoke of a decapitation having occurred in the attack. The attacker was detained in the church by the French police.
The killings took place early Thursday morning inside the Notre-Dame basilica in the city centre. The attacker said he wanted to punish school teacher Samuel Paty for showing pupils cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad.
Since Paty's killing, French officials and citizens have reiterated the right to display the cartoons, and the images have been widely displayed at marches in solidarity with the killed teacher.
On October 19 it came to light that a fatwa was issued against Paty, a beloved teacher who showed cartoons of Prophet Mohammed to school children. On October 18, at a tribute held for Paty, French Prime Minister Jean Castex stood with citizens, associations and unions demonstrating Sunday on the Place de la Republique in Paris in support of freedom of speech.
This display of solidarity by French leaders has angered the Muslim world and some governments have accused President Emmanuel Macron of pursuing an anti-Islam agenda.
