Police have shot dead a man who was said to have tried to burn down a synagogue in France.
The man was spotted on the roof of a synagogue equipped with a knife and iron bar and was ‘clearly trying to burn down the building’ when police arrived, French media reports.
He then allegedly ‘rushed’ towards officers while appearing threatening, and was ‘neutralised’ by police who shot him dead.
According to an eyewitness, the suspect ‘obviously wanted to set fire to the city’s synagogue.’
According to Rouen Mayor Nicolas Meyer-Rossignol, no other victims were injured in the incident.
The mayor tweeted: “The Jewish community is not the only one affected by this attack and arson on a synagogue in Rouen.”
“The whole city of Rouen is injured and in shock.”
Rossignol The man climbed onto a trash can and threw “some kind of Molotov cocktail” into the synagogue, starting a fire and causing “significant damage.”
France’s Chief Rabbi Haim Korscia also praised the police’s “response” and said he would “immediately leave Shabbat to assure the faithful of my full support.”
Elie Corchia, president of France’s Central Police Agency, thanked officers for “preventing a new anti-Semitic tragedy in our country.”
The French Interior Ministry also praised the response and courage of the authorities.
The area around the synagogue remains cordoned off this morning, with white tents set up on Rue Bon Enfant, just off the corner of Rue Fontenelle.
The incident follows an explosive week in which two guards were shot dead after prisoners escaped from a prison in rural France.
Fabrice Moello, 52, and his future father Arnaud Garcia, 34, were killed Tuesday morning in an attack just a few miles away.
They were in a prison convoy transporting 30-year-old Mohamed Amra from prison when the gunmen rammed a police car and opened fire on guards with “heavy weapons”.