A person entered the Basilica of Notre Dame de l’Assomption in Nice, poured water on the candles and then on the sexton who approached him, said prayers in Arabic, recited verses from the Quran and shouted ‘Allah will judge’, a police source reported at around 1.45pm on Wednesday.
The sexton triggered the alarm button, whereupon the city police quickly intervened.
The 29-year-old suspect, who is known to the French intelligence service TAJ, is not reported to the territorial intelligence service and suffers from mental health problems, was arrested and taken into police custody. There were no injuries.
Amaury Brelet / Valeurs actuelles