Man tries to burn mosque in France, shoots two

by Tauqeer Abbas
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Shafaqna Pakistan:An 84-year-old former candidate for France´s ultra-right party shot and wounded two men in their seventies Monday as he attacked a mosque, prompting the government to express “solidarity” with Muslims

The octogenarian attacked the mosque as two men were preparing it for afternoon prayers, Bayonne mayor Jean-Rene Etchegaray told AFP at the scene.

The man “approached the building by car and threw an incendiary device against the side door of the mosque,” he said. “The two people came out, he shot at them, hitting one in the neck and the other in the chest and arm. He then fled.”

The victims, aged 74 and 78, were rushed to a nearby hospital with serious injuries, police said.

The man was tracked thanks to his number plate to his home town of Saint-Martin-de-Seignanx, a settlement of some 5,000 people just 16 kilometres (10 miles) from Bayonne, a popular tourist destination in France´s Basque country.

A source close to the investigation identified the man as Claude Sinke, and said he had admitted to being the shooter. He had also set fire to a car outside the mosque.

Sinke had stood as a candidate for Marine Le Pen´s National Front in 2015 regional elections, according to the official list.

President Emmanuel Macron said he “firmly condemns” what he termed a “heinous attack,” in a tweet Monday evening.

“The Republic will never tolerate hatred,” he said. “Everything will be done to punish the perpetrators and protect our Muslim compatriots. I commit myself to it.”

Interior Minister Christophe Castaner, in turn, offered “solidarity and support to the Muslim community”.

Le Pen, for her part, labelled the attack “an unspeakable act”, and said it was “absolutely contrary to the values of our movement.”

Her National Rally said it had not been in contact with Sinke for months and said he was “no longer a member”.

The mosque has been cordoned off for investigations and a bomb squad was sent to Sinke´s home. A team of psychologists was deployed to the mosque and the hospital to provide trauma care for witnesses.

Police told AFP the man had three sub-military grade weapons, which he had declared to investigators.

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