Machete attacks on Spanish churches leave one dead and four injured | Spain

A machete-wielding man killed a priest and wounded a priest in attacks on two churches in the Spanish city of Algeciras on Wednesday before being arrested in what authorities are investigating as a possible act of terrorism.

The suspect was arrested and is in the custody of the Spanish National Police. The ministry did not identify him.

The attacks began around 7 p.m. when the gunman entered the San Isidro church and attacked a priest who was seriously injured.

The attacker then went to a second church, Nuestra Señora de La Palma – a five-minute walk away – where he went on a rampage, attacking the cloister. The priest, whose job it is to look after the church and its maintenance, ran outside, where his assailant inflicted fatal wounds on a public square.

Algeciras City Hall identified the priest as Diego Valencia and the wounded priest as Antonio Rodriguez. The mayor’s office said Rodriguez was hospitalized and is in stable condition.

Local media reported that at least three more people were injured.

Spain’s National Court announced that a judge had opened an investigation into a possible act of terrorism.

Police are investigating the incident, the interior ministry said, to determine “the nature of the attack”. It offered no further details about the attacker’s possible motive.

The General Secretary of the Bishops’ Conference of Spain, Francisco García, wrote on Twitter: “I received the news of the incident in Algeciras with great pain.”

“These are sad moments of suffering, we are united by the pain of the families of the victims and for the Diocese of Cádiz,” he added.

Algeciras is near the southern tip of Spain, across the gulf from Gibraltar. It is home to an important port with ferry connections to North Africa.

The town hall declared a day of mourning; flags will fly at half-staff.

“We are all stunned by these actions, which have filled us with pain,” said Mayor Jose Landaluse. “Algeciras has always been a city of harmony and tolerance, despite incidents such as this that create an image that does not correspond to reality.”