More terror in France: Two Islamist hostage takers shot dead in a church

Two men armed with knives were shot dead Tuesday after taking hostages at a church in the Normandy commune of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, near Rouen in France and murdering the priest. The killers – apparently jihadist terrorists – cut his throat. The hostages included two nuns and congregation members. The attackers were “neutralized” by security forces, which stormed the church after one of the nuns escaped and alerted the police. A police tweet urged people not to cross the security cordon or take photos or videos, as French President Francois Hollande and Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve made their way to the scene.

The Paris prosecutor said the incident was being investigated by the national counter-terrorism task force (SDAT) and the General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI) intelligence agency.