French police are searching for a man suspected of killing a Muslim worshipper inside a mosque in the south of the country, while filming the brutal attack on a mobile phone and shouting insults at Islam.
The worshipper was stabbed to death on Friday morning in the village of La Grand-Combe, located in the Gard region of southern France. As of Saturday, the suspect remained at large, regional prosecutor Abdelkrim Grini told AFP.
While the motive remains unclear, security camera footage reportedly captured the suspect insulting “Allah,” the Arabic word for God, a source close to the investigation revealed.
The attacker is said to have filmed the killing on his phone, capturing the victim writhing in agony. He then sent the footage to another individual, who posted it on social media before later deleting it, according to the source.
Another investigative source, who asked to remain anonymous, said the suspect has been identified as a French citizen of Bosnian origin, although he has yet to be apprehended.
“The individual is being actively sought. This matter is being taken extremely seriously,” prosecutor Grini stated. He confirmed that all possibilities were being considered, including the likelihood of an Islamophobic motive. France’s anti-terror prosecutors are assessing whether to take charge of the case.
At the time of the attack, only the victim and the assailant were inside the mosque. The attacker reportedly joined the victim in prayer before launching a frenzied assault, stabbing him up to 50 times before fleeing the scene.
The victim’s body was discovered later that morning when other worshippers arrived for Friday prayers.
Prosecutor Grini said the victim, aged between 23 and 24, was a regular attendee at the mosque. In contrast, the attacker had never previously been seen there.
Locals described the victim as a young man from Mali who had arrived in France several years ago and was highly respected within the village community.
