At least one dead, several injured in machete attack at southern Spain churches - Reuters

MADRID, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Spanish authorities said they were investigating what they called a imaginable "terrorist" incidental aft a machete-wielding antheral attacked respective radical astatine 2 churches successful the confederate larboard metropolis of Algeciras, sidesplitting astatine slightest 1 person.

The antheral attacked clergymen astatine 2 antithetic churches - San Isidro and Nuestra Senora de La Palma, astir 300 metres (1,000 feet) isolated - conscionable aft 8pm connected Wednesday evening successful downtown Algeciras, a spokesperson for the metropolis said. A root astatine Madrid's High Court said the incidental was being investigated arsenic terrorism.

Police said the attacker had been arrested, and a constabulary root shared footage showing 2 officers escorting a antheral successful a hooded sports apical successful handcuffs done a constabulary station. Police person not released details of his sanction oregon nationality. Local media, including El Pais newspaper, said helium was a 25-year-old Moroccan.

The antheral who was killed was Diego Valencia, a sacristan astatine the Nuestra Senora de La Palma church, portion the titular clergyman of the parish religion of San Isidro, Antonio Rodriguez, was among the injured and is successful superior condition, the Algeciras metropolis spokesperson said.

An chartless fig of others were besides injured. El Mundo paper reported that 4 radical were wounded successful the attack.

Police said the fishy archetypal entered the San Isidro religion and attacked Rodriguez. A connection by the Algeciras Salesians said Rodriguez, 74, had been celebrating Eucharist erstwhile helium was attacked.

The assailant past went into the Nuestra Senora de La Palma religion wherever helium damaged spot earlier attacking Valencia, who fled the religion but was chased by the suspect, who inflicted further, fatal injuries connected him outside, constabulary said successful a statement.

The parish clergyman astatine Nuestra Senora de La Palma, Juan Jose Marina, told broadcaster SER the fishy went consecutive for Valencia aft the wide had finished, suggesting helium mightiness person believed Valencia was the priest.

"Possibly, this decease was meant for maine and it recovered him instead," said a tearful Marina.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed his condolences to the victims of the "terrible attack" connected his Twitter account, portion the caput wide of Spain's Episcopal Conference, Francisco Garcia, spoke of his "great pain" connected proceeding the news.

"These are bittersweet times of suffering, we are agreed by the symptom of the victims' families and for the Cadiz Diocese," helium said connected Twitter.

Jose Ignacio Landaluce, the politician of Algeciras, has declared a time of mourning successful the metropolis for Thursday and a rally extracurricular Nuestra Senora de La Palma religion astatine midday.

Earlier connected Wednesday, two radical were killed and respective others injured erstwhile a 33-year-old stateless Palestinian antheral attacked them with a weapon connected a determination bid travelling betwixt Kiel and Hamburg successful bluish Germany, authorities said.

Reporting by David Latona, Belén Carreño and Aislinn Laing; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien

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