Two terrorist slit priest's throat before taking two nuns and two worshippers hostage in Rouen, Normandyare

A parish priest has been killed after having his throat cut by two knife-wielding hostage-takers who stormed a French church in a suspected terror attack.
The two attackers entered the Church of the Gambetta at around 9.45am local time (8.45am UK time) during morning prayers.

Prise d'otages dans une église de Saint Etienne du Rouvray ! Police GIPN et militaires mission vigipirate sur place pic.twitter.com/Wz1zbwHK5F

— frederic veille (@fredveille) July 26, 2016

They took the priest, two nuns and two worshippers hostage and local media reports suggest the knifemen shouted a message in support of Islamic State as they launched the attack.

Les pompiers arrivent sur place et annoncent plusieurs blessés Prise d'otages saint etienne du Rouvray @RTLFrance pic.twitter.com/DoRMJ1iNTg

— frederic veille (@fredveille) July 26, 2016

A third nun is said to have escaped the siege, in Rouen, Normandy, and raised the alarm.

 The hour-long armed stand-off was ended when the hostage-takers were shot dead.
Police found the body of the priest - named locally as 84-year-old Jacques Hamel - inside the church.
One of the worshipper is said to be fighting for their life in hospital after suffering serious injuries.

The incident is being treated as a suspect terror attack and the anti-terror of the French prosecutor's office have now launched an investigation into the attack.

The Priest

France's Interior Ministry confirmed the priest and two hostage-takers had died at the scene.
A local police source said the men stormed a back entrance of the church before taking the hostages.
Police blocked off the roads around the church as nearby residents were told to stay indoors.
Paramedics were seen pulling stretchers out of ambulances.

One resident said he was walking to church as the horror broke out and he was told to go home and stay indoors by armed officers.
He told French newspaper MetroNews: "I was going to go out and do my shopping when the police started shouting me to go straight home and barricade myself.
"There is a lot of agitation, the police are bulletproof vest and armed."