At least one dead, several injured in southern Spain church stabbing

MADRID/BARCELONA: A suspect has been arrested in the stabbing of several people at a church in southern Spain, with at least one person killed, the Interior Ministry said on Wednesday, in what authorities are investigating as a possible act of terrorism.
The man, who was described by some media as wielding either a machete or a samurai sword, allegedly attacked churchgoers in San Lorenzo parish in Algeciras, a port city in the southern province of Cadiz.
“The facts are being investigated and analyzed, but it is not yet possible to determine the nature of the attack,” the ministry said in a statement.
A police spokesperson declined to provide further details.
According to initial reports by local media, the parish priest was among the injured and is in serious condition.
El Mundo newspaper reported that four people had been injured in the attack.
The attacker was arrested and is in the custody of Spain’s National Police. The ministry did not identify the suspect.
Spain’s National Court said a judge has opened an investigation into a possible act of terrorism over the attack.
Police are investigating the incident, the interior ministry said, to determine the “nature of the attack.” It offered no further detail on the weapon that was used or on the attacker’s possible motive.
The secretary general of Spain’s Episcopal Conference, Francisco García, wrote on Twitter that “I have received the news of the incident in Algeciras with great pain.”
“These are sad moments of suffering, we are united by the pain of families of the victims and for the Diocese of Cádiz,” he added.
Algeciras is located near the southern tip of Spain. It is home to an important port.
(With Reuters and AP)

At least one dead, several injured in southern Spain church stabbing