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A parish priest has been killed after having his throat cut by two knife-wielding hostage-takers who stormed a French church in a suspected terror attack.

The two attackers entered the Church of the Gambetta in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray near Rouen, Normandy at around 9.45am local time (8.45am UK time) during morning Mass

They took the priest, two nuns and two worshippers hostage and local media reports suggest the knifemen shouted "Allahu Akbar" on the steps of the church.

ISIS have claimed responsibility for the attack and one of the knifeman has been revealed as a local man who was wearing an electronic tag after being arrested for attempting to travel to Syria.

It has since emerged the church was on a 'kill list' of a suspected ISIS terrorist arrested in Paris last April for allegedly plotting "imminent attacks" in France.

French president Francois Hollande named ISIS in a speech confirming the incident as a terrorist attack while re-iterating the country is "at war".

(Image: REUTERS) (Image: Getty Images) (Image: Getty Images)

He said: "We are facing a group - Daesh - who have declared war and we have to fight this war using all means possible.

"What these terrorists want to do is to divide us."

A third nun is said to have raised the alarm after escaping the siege, in Rouen, Normandy.

The hour-long armed stand-off was ended when the hostage-takers were shot dead.

Police found the body 84-year-old priest Jacques Hamel inside the church.

Mr Hamel was the assistant parish priest and was leading services while the parish priest was on holiday this week.

One of the worshippers is said to be "between life and death" as they fight for their life in hospital after suffering serious injuries.

(Image: Getty Images) (Image: Getty Images)

French police arrested one person in connection with the knife attack in the church.

A statement released by ISIS' Amaq news agency said: "The two executors of the attack on a church in Normandy, France, are soldiers of the Islamic State.

"They executed the operation in response to calls to target countries belonging to the crusaders' coalition."

The Vatican has described the attack as a "barbarous killing" made even worse as it was carried out in a "sacred place".

(Image: Sky News)

The incident is being treated as a suspect terror attack and the anti-terror of the French prosecutor's office have now launched an investigation into the attack.

One person has been arrested in connection with the incident.

Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray was one of a number of Catholic churches on a terrorist ‘hit list’ found on a suspected Isil terrorist.

Sid Ahmed Ghlam, 24, was arrested in April 2015 after he called an ambulance in Paris after shooting himself in the leg.

(Image: Google) (Image: Getty Images)

Investigators believe he was a terrorist planning ‘imminent attacks’ in France on the instructions of Isil leaders.

These included the Sacre-Couer basilica in Paris, and places of worship including the one in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray targeted today.

France's Interior Ministry confirmed the priest and two hostage-takers had died at the scene.

A local police source said the men stormed a back entrance of the church before taking the hostages.

Interior Ministry Spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet told a press conference at the scene that sniffer dogs are searching the area for potential booby traps.

He said: "We face a dramatic situation that we have to face up to once again, less than two weeks following the Nice tragedy.

"The investigation will continue throughout the day. We are at the start of the operation. The priority was to make sure we got the assailants and rescued as many hostages as possible.

"Unfortunately the toll has been extremely high. One person was assassinated and another was seriously injured."

(Image: Google)

French prime minister Manuel Valls said in a message on Twitter: "Horror in the face of the barbaric attack on a church in Seine-Maritime. All of France and all Catholics are bruised. We stand together."

Theresa May sent her condolences and prayers to the French people after what she called a "sickening attack".

She said: "Let me start by offering my condolences to the French people following the sickening attack in Northern France this morning.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected."

In a message on Twitter, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said: "Evil attacks the weakest, denies truth and love, is defeated through Jesus Christ. Pray for France, for victims, for their communities."

One resident said he was walking to church as the horror broke out and he was told to go home and stay indoors by armed officers.

He told French newspaper MetroNews: "I was going to go out and do my shopping when the police started shouting me to go straight home and barricade myself.

"There is a lot of agitation, the police are bulletproof vest and armed."