Fire brigade members stand by a synagogue in the Normandy city of Rouen where French police have killed earlier an armed man who was trying to set fire to the building (Picture: Getty)
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.’
Two separate investigations have been opened, one into the fire at the synagogue and another into the circumstances of the death of the individual killed by the police (Picture: Getty)
No other victims were injured during the incident, according the mayor of Rouen, Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol.
The mayor tweeted: ’Through this attack and this attempted fire to the Rouen synagogue, it is not only the Jewish community that is affected.
‘The entire city of Rouen is bruised and in shock.’
According to Mayer-Rossignol, the man is thought to have climbed onto a rubbish container and thrown ‘a sort of Molotov cocktail’ inside the synagogue, starting a fire and causing ‘significant damage’.
France’s chief Rabbi, Haïm Korsia, also praised the ‘reactivity’ of the police and said he ‘would spend a Shabbat very soon to assure the faithful of my full support’.
The president of the Central Consistory of France, Elie Korchia , thanked the police officers who, according to him, ‘avoided a new anti-Semitic tragedy in our country’.
The French Interior Ministry also congratulated officers for their responsiveness and courage.
The area near to the synagogue remains cordoned off this morning, and a white tent has been erected on Rue des Bons Enfants, not far from the corner with Rue Fontenelle.
The incident follows an explosive week in France which saw two prison guards shot dead after an inmate escaped from prison in the French countryside.
Fabrice Moello’s, 52, and dad-to-be Arnaud Garcia, 34, were killed in the attack just a few miles away on Tuesday morning.
They were in a prison convoy transporting Mohamed Amra, 30, from prison when armed men rammed the police van and shot at guards with ‘heavy weapons’.
This is a developing news story, more to follow soon… Check back shortly for further updates.
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