Spain: Deadly Knife Attack at Church in Algeciras

Hat tip Vlad Tepes, Gates of Vienna, and HeHa.

Church of La Palma, Algeciras

This evening in Algeciras, Spain, there has been a horrific attack against at least two churches in the center of the city. One man, a Moroccan, aged 25, is in custody accused of entering a church armed with a  machete and attacking a priest, who is in grave condition. The suspect then reportedly went to another church and attacked and fatally wounded a sexton. 

This is being treated as a jihadist terrorist attack. In one church, the suspect reportedly told parishioners they should convert to Islam.

The below article from El Pais is translated by Fousesquawk. Please note that the article has been updated and there may be differences in comparing the Spanish and English versions. In addition, the article identified the deceased victim first as David Valencia, then as Diego Valencia.

A subtitled video is pending.

*Update: El Pais has identified the suspect as Yasine Kanjaa.

 https://elpais.com/espana/2023-01-25/un-hombre-mata-a-una-persona-y-deja-varios-heridos-en-un-ataque-en-una-iglesia-de-algeciras.html

A man kills one person and leaves at least four injured in an attack against two churches in Algeciras

The National Police arrested the attacker shortly after the incident. The National Court Prosecutor believes this to be an alleged terrorist attack of an Islamic nature.

Caption: A person under a thermal blanket in Alta Square in Algeciras Wednesday. On the right is the attacker.

By Patricia Ortega Dolz, Oscar Lopez-Fonseca, Jesus A. Canas

Madrid, Cadiz 25 January 2023, 14:48, updated 25 January 2023 14:53 

At least one person has died and four others have been injured in a machete attack carried out in various churches and parishes in the center of Algeciras (Cadiz) on Wednesday afternoon. According to sources in the Ministry of Interior, one person carried out an attack with a knife killing one person and wounding others. The man, a Moroccan aged 25, according to sources within the investigation and statements of witnesses who were present, entered the church of San Isidro in the center of the city, at 7 pm and "began to argue with the parishioners there, telling them that they should follow the Islamic religion."

After that, he left the location but returned around 7:20 with "a machete and attacked the priest, causing serious wounds". Then he proceeded to the church of La Palma, only 200 meters from the first, where, after causing various destruction, he attacked the sacristan (sexton), who managed to get out of the church, but he was caught by the attacker outside where he (the attacker) inflicted fatal wounds. Then, after leaving this location, "he tried to hide in a hermitage where he was (caught) by local police. The arrestee has no police record and is being held by the National Police in Algeciras.

Agents of the General Intelligence Commissariat, specialized in the anti-terrorist fight, have taken charge of the investigation, without having determined for the time being the nature of the attack beyond the fact that the attacks have jihadist overtones. The National Court Prosecutor has assumed the case as a presumed terrorist attack, according to the public ministry. Police sources warn, however, of the existing confusion at this time, and point out that there have been attacks "in at least two churches". Police reports will eventually clear up the nature of the attack. The city council has decreed an official day of mourning for the death of the sexton, David Valencia. The gravely wounded priest, who is in a coma, is Antonio Rodriguez.

Caption: The arrestee after being detained.

An Algeciras priest has described the events as follows: "The attacker first went to the parish of San Isidro, where he attacked a person. Then, after that, he approached the church in La Palma Square, where he encountered a sexton in the street and attacked him leaving him on the ground. After that, he appeared to go to the Church of the Virgin of Europe, but I don't know if he got there." All of the churches are located in the center of the city of 122,000 residents. The Civil Guard is setting up security barriers in the houses of worship in the area, confirms Miguel Alconchel, mayor of Los Barrios (neighboring municipality).

For his part, the parish priest of the Church of La Palma, Juan Jose Marina, who was outside the church at that moment, adds: According to what I was told, a Muslim entered and began throwing things from the altar. Then the sexton tried to stop him, and the first knife attack was inside the church. The poor man went out onto the street asking for help, and there he was again attacked in the square. The attacker came from the Church of San Isidro, and there he attacked a Salesian, also a comrade, who was at that moment giving a mass. The parish priest Marina also told Cadena SER: "Possibly, this death was meant for me, and it found him."

Caption: The parish of the church in Algeciras where a sexton was murdered: "Possibly, this death was...."

The emergency service 119 Andalucia received numerous reports with details of the incident, but the rescue personnel could do nothing to save the life of the victim. The mayor of Algeciras, Jose Ignacio Landluce, has sent his condolences, both for himself and in the name of the municipal government, for the death of Diego Valencia. For his part, the president (of Spain), Pedro Sanchez, has expressed sorrow over the events on Twitter. "I want to send my most sincere condolences to the relatives of the sexton killed in the terrible attack in Algeciras. I wish for a speedy recovery for the wounded. All of our support to the work being done by the forces and entities of security of the State". The president of the Andalucia Assembly, Juan Manuel Moreno, also expressed himself on social media: "Terrible and heart-breaking. They have murdered a sexton and wounded at least another priest in an attack carried out in Algeciras. Prudence-the facts are being investigated". The secretary general of the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE), Francisco Cesar Garcia Magan, has also expressed his pain on social media. "With pain, I have received the news of the happenings in Algeciras. In these sad moments of suffering, we join in the pain of the family of the victims and the  Cadiz Diocese and pray to God of life and peace for the speedy recovery of the wounded". The Muslim Community, for its part, issued a statement of rejection.

Thus far in 2023, security forces have arrested 4 alleged jihadists. Last year, 53 arrests of persons connected with those terrorist groups were recorded, 46 of whom were made in Spain and 7 in other countries, principally Morocco. The most important in the number of arrests was in October, also in an operation in conjunction with the Maghrebian country (Morocco). Then, there were 13 arrestees, 11 of them in Spain, for indoctrinating minors in Melilla. Since 2020, 131 arrested have been recorded for jihadism, according to official statistics from the Ministry of Interior.

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