A Greek Orthodox priest is in a life-threatening condition after being shot in a gun attack in the French city of Lyon.
French Police said the priest was fired at twice in the abdomen while he was closing the church at about 4pm and they are hunting for the attacker.
Officers locked down the area and told the public to stay away.
The attacker was alone and fired from a hunting rifle, a police source said.
Local media described seeing an injured man being stretchered from the church.
It’s understood the gunman was wearing a long black raincoat and black hat.
Anti-terrorist authorities were not investigating the shooting, but a special emergency team was on the case while the gunman was still at large.
On Twitter, the British Embassy in France posted an alert about the “ongoing security incident” at the Jean-Mace area of the 7th arrondissement.
It comes two days after a woman was beheaded and two others killed by a man shouting “Allahu Akbar” in a church in Nice. That happened on the day Muslims celebrate the Prophet Mohammad’s birthday.
In a separate attack, Paris schoolteacher Samuel Paty was beheaded by an 18-year-old Chechen two weeks ago after showing his students a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammad.
France’s defence of the right to publish cartoons depicting the Prophet have angered many Muslims around the world and deepened tensions in the nation.
Ministers have warned of a risk of other Islamist militant attacks.
In response to the recent violence, President Emmanuel Macron sent thousands of soldiers to protect sites such as schools and places of worship.
After today’s shooting, French Prime Minister Jean Castex reiterated a commitment to guard those places.
He said French people can “count on the nation to allow them to practice their religion in full safety and freedom”.
