Two churches in southern Spain were attacked by a suspected Islamic terrorist on Wednesday. One church was occupied by a priest, the other was occupied and a sacristan was mutilated.
Authorities are investigating whether these brutal attacks, during which an illegal alien shouted “Allah Is Great!” — were terrorist acts.
Illegal alien Yasin Kanza, 25, reportedly rushed into the church of Maria Auxiliadora y San Isidro in the city Algeciras around 7 p.m., armed with a machete. Inside, the suspect savagely attacked 74-year-old priest Fr. Antonio RodrÃguez, who had been celebrating the Eucharist, reported the Associated Press.
The priest survived the gaping stab wounds to his neck.
According to the Straits Times, Jose Antonio Landaluce, Mayor of San Jose Antonio Landaluce stated that the attacker’s blade narrowly missed a priest’s spinal cord.
Spanish news outlet El Mundo reported the Salesian priest is now in recovery and urged others to “never lose hope,” noting that God “animates” our lives.
The terrorist fled the church bleeding, and then sought another nearby: Nuestra Senora de La Palma. The attacker then found Diego Valencia who was a sacristan and responsible for maintaining the church and setting up the altar for mass.
An interior ministry statement states that the suspect started causing damage to the altar and interior of the church after Valencia, a fellow sacristan, came to inquire about the cause.
El Mundo reported Kanza’s demand that Catholic parishioners abandon the Catholic faith.
Valencia ran to the square after recognizing the attacker as he was. He was hacked to death by the suspected terrorist who caught up with him.
According to The Telegraph, Valencia was a man in his 60s who was shot with a machete.
Agencia EFE reported Kanza shouting “death to Christians”, and “Allah Is Great” while hacking away at Spanish citizens.
After Valencia was killed in the square, the suspected terrorist was quickly arrested and is currently in Spain’s National Police custody.
Un muerto y un herido en un ataque yihadista en Algeciras a varias iglesias.
La PolicÃa ha detenido a un hombre de origen magrebÃ. pic.twitter.com/1r8JjGu4tY
— AUGC Guardia Civil (@AUGC_Comunica) January 25, 2023
According to the Associated Press, boats containing illegal aliens from North Africa (including Morocco where 99% are Sunni Muslims) frequently dock in Algeciras.
Santiago Abascal (leader of the right-wing Vox) attributed the blame to the Spanish leftist government for allowing the atrocities to occur by “opening up the borders” to illegal aliens.
Abascal tweeted: “He entered Spain illegally. He had an expulsion order. He was under surveillance for Jihadism. He was a squatter. What number of people will be similar to him in Spain? “The human trafficking mafias as well as the politicians who open borders and give them subsidies can’t hide their responsibility.”
🔴 El magrebà detenido por el atentado yihadista en Algeciras es Yasin Kanza, de 40 años. PodrÃa tratarse de un lobo solitario.
Tras ser detenido, el terrorista llegó a sonreÃr. pic.twitter.com/nE38CArgvC
— Caso Aislado (@CasoAislado_Es) January 25, 2023
Pedro Sanchez, Spain’s socialist president, expressed his wish for a speedy recovery to the injured, and also condoled with the family of the sacristan who had “died in the horrible attack.”
The same day this attack took place, a 33-year-old Palestinian migrant allegedly stabbed nine people on a train in Germany, traveling from Kiel to Hamburg. The attacker slaughtered a 16-year-old girl and a 19-year-old man, reported ABC News.
According to reports, the attacker was convicted of both sexual assault and serious bodily injury.
AFP reported that the attack was yet another in a series of similar attacks across Europe.