The professor’s son who was radicalised by ISIS in just three months – as second killer is revealed to be another homegrown extremist
Homegrown extremists Adel Kermiche and Abdel Malik P. slaughtered elderly priest Father Jacques Hamel
PRIEST killer Adel Kermiche became radicalised in just three months and was pals with a French jihadi involved in the beheading of Americans in Syria, it has emerged.
Security sources in France said he met notorious ISIS executioner Maxime Hauchard, 24, close to his home village in Normandy where he murdered an elderly priest with fellow homegrown extremist Abdel Malik P.
It raised the possibility Kermiche was inspired by Hauchard to carry out yesterday’s horrific attack in northern France, where he and Malik P. forced an 85-year-old priest to kneel by his altar then slashed his throat.
The second killer Malik P, who was named today, lived in the town of Aix-les-Bains, in the French Alps, and was born in Saint-Die-des-Vosges, a town in the Vosges department of northeastern France.
Judicial police from Lyon are leading an investigation into Malk P.’s background. They have not yet released his full surname.
Anti-terrorist police were also known to be carrying out raids in the area around his hometown.
The second hostage, stabbed by two depraved assassins, was reportedly an 87-year-old man who was attending the church service with his wife.
The wife of the elderly victim, who survived the savage attack, has revealed that her husband was forced to film the killing of Father Jacques Hamel.
The man's spouse, who is named Jeanine, said the killers told her, and the two nuns who were also taken hostage, that they would be spared but the men 'had to die'.
Her husband reportedly survived the incident by playing dead on the floor of the church.
The warped Jihadists reportedly used the two nuns as human shields when they exited the church before being shot and killed by police.
The son of a professor, Kermiche had been a normal sports-mad Simpsons fan who loved Rihanna.
But he became radical after the slaughter at satirical mag Charlie Hebdo in Paris in January last year, which left 12 staff dead.
His professor mum said he started going to a mosque more frequently and soon began lecturing her on conduct.
She said: “He said that one couldn’t exercise one’s religion peacefully in France. He spoke with words that were not his. He was bewitched.”
His pals and family were stunned to find his many Facebook accounts full of radical conversations with people worldwide.
In March last year he set off for Syria but his bid to reach IS was stopped in Munich. German cops sent him back to France.
In May he tried again using his cousin’s ID but was intercepted in Turkey. He was later found to have helped a 16-year-old join IS.
Kermiche, whose four siblings include a doctor, served time in jail in France and Switzerland.
A former schoolmate said he started ignoring pals who tried to “reason with him”, instead replying “with a verse from the Koran”.
He must have been manipulated. He was the kind of guy who used to break up any argument
Kermiche's mother
Last night his tearful uncle said: “I can’t believe this has happened.”
Pal Imane El Fajri, 18, added: “He must have been manipulated. He was the kind of guy who used to break up any argument.”
France was rocked yesterday after Kermiche and his extremist accomplice stormed a 9am Catholic mass in the town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, Normandy.
After holding several worshippers hostage, they forced Father Jacques Hamel, 84, to kneel in front of them before slitting his throat.
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According to a nun, named Sister Danielle, who survived the incident, the brainwashed duo filmed the brutal murder of the elderly priest.
She said: “Everybody was shouting, ‘Stop’.
“He attacked Jacques and made him kneel so that he almost made him fall.
“That’s when I fled. He was busy setting about him with the knife and he didn’t see me leave.”
Sister Danielle said one of the attackers “gave a kind of little sermon in Arabic standing by the altar”.
Both killers were shot dead by police as they ran from the church .
Two of the hostages were wounded in the attack on the church. One was critical yesterday.
The two killers, called “soldiers” by ISIS, were shot dead as they fled the church shouting shouting “Allahu Akbar”.
Terror expert Dr Razaq Raj said: “They’re not soldiers — they are the most evil cowards.”
The French authorities have admitted the attackers were known terrorist suspects — sparking questions over why they had not been under surveillance.
After the terrorists were shot by police, one was found to be wearing an explosive belt while the other had a fake bomb.
Prosecutor Francois Molins said they had used three of the hostages as human shields.
He added: “Police attempted to enter the church but could not because three hostages were being used as a barrier by the doors.
“Shortly afterwards the three hostages left the church followed by the two terrorists who were carrying handheld weapons.
“They shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ and were attacked by the police.
“One of the attackers was found to be carrying an explosive belt made of aluminium paper and three knives.
“And another carried a weapon covered in aluminium foil.
“He was also carrying a backpack in which was found a fake explosive device.”
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