Sword-wielding man kills at least 1 person, injuring several others in Spanish church

Members of the Spanish National Police stand next to a corpse in Algeciras, southern Spain, 25 January 2023. A man was arrested after stabbing a church assistant to death and injuring four more people at San Isidro's church, among which there is a priest. The attacker burst into the church carrying a machete while shouting 'Allah', for which it is being investigated as a possible act of terrorism. Photo: EPA/A. Carrasco Ragel

A church in southern Spain turned into a scene of horror as a man slashed at several people inside, killing at least one, according to the Spanish Interior Ministry’s statement made on Wednesday.

Some media described the suspect as carrying a machete with which he allegedly attacked churchgoers in San Lorenzo parish in Algeciras, a port city in the southern province of Cadiz. A city spokesman told Reuters that the man allegedly attacked clergymen at two different temples in downtown Algeciras, located some 300 m apart. According to the spokesman, the first hitherto reported fatality was a sacristan at the Iglesia Mayor de la Palma church, while the titular priest of the parish church of San Isidro was among the injured and is in a critical condition.

“The facts are being investigated and analyzed, but it is not yet possible to determine the nature of the attack,” the ministry said in a statement.

Although the suspect has already been arrested by the police, its spokesperson declined to provide further details. The police have also cordoned off the Alta square – the most frequented location in Algeciras, where the incident took place. El Mundo has pegged the number of injured at four.

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