REUTERS Two attackers killed a priest with a blade and seriously wounded another hostage

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Adel Kermiche was shot dead by police marksmen alongside another maniacal Islamist attacker after the pair targeted helpless nuns taking part in an early morning Mass. The weedu 19-year-old, who lived with his mother just 200 yards from the church in Normandy, was a convicted terrorist who was known to the French authorities and should have been monitored with an electronic tag. But despite his attempts to travel to Syria to fight for Islamic State (ISIS) he was free to enter the church at just after 9am and brutally murder Father Jacques Hamel in a barbaric attack. His brother is believed to be a jihadi militant in the Middle East and it emerged how he became radicalised after hero-worshipping the Charlie Hebdo attackers.

Kermiche was caught attempting to cross the Turkish border into Syria in early 2015 and was deported back to France via Switzerland, where he was electronically tagged and forced to live with his parents. At the time his mother, a teacher, revealed her son had turned to radical Islam after hearing about the Charlie Hebdo massacre, when jihadi gunmen murdered journalists at a French satirical magazine. She told Swiss media: "The Charlie Hebdo killing was like a detonator for him. "From then this happy, kind young man who would go out with friends – cosed himself off. He obsessively attended his local mosque. "It was like he had been brainwashed and bewitched – preaching to his non-practicing family." He had previously been an avid fan of sports, pop singer Rihanna and US cartoon The Simpsons, according to reports.

FACEBOOK Kermiche was radicalised after hearing about the Charlie Hebdo attack

His friend Imane El Fajri, 18, said: "He must have been manipulated. He was the kind of guy who used to break up any argument." And his uncle said: "I can't believe this has happened.' One teenager who knew Kermiche told French radio station RTL he "wasn't surprised" by the attack, adding: "He talked about it all the time. "He talked about Islam, the things like this he was going to do. He talked about the Koran and Mecca and he told me ‘I’m going to attack a church’. "He said this two months ago on leaving the mosque. On my mother’s life I didn’t believe him.”

FACEBOOK The 19-year-old beheaded a priest at a church in Normandy

Kermiche is pictured as a child on his Facebook page wearing an Algeria football hat, but listed himself online as being from Port Louis in Mauritius. He went to College Paul Eluard in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray, just yards away from where he committed yesterday's barbaric attack. According to French media, Kermiche should have been living with his parents under a court order. He was allowed out unsupervised between the hours of 8.30am and 12.30pm. Mass at the church started at 9am. I-tele reported that the teenager, who was shot dead by police during the siege, spent nearly a year in prison before being released on March 2. He was required to wear an electronic bracelet and had returned to live with his parents, said to be close to the Catholic church which was targeted yesterday morning. He was one of two armed men who stormed the church in Sainte Etienne du Rouvray, killing the priest and seriously injuring a worshipper. The men were shot dead by police a short time later.

GETTY The church of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, blocked by police following an attack by two knifemen

GETTY French President Francois Hollande speaking outside Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray's city hall

French President Francois Hollande has confirmed the attack was carried out by Islamic State sympathisers. Mr Hollande said the two hostage takers were terrorists who had pledged allegiance to Islamic State. He said: ”Daesh has declared war on us, we must fight this war by all means, while respecting the rule of law, what makes us a democracy,” using an Arab acronym for the Islamist extremist group. A statement released by ISIS’ Amaq news agency said two Islamic State “soldiers” carried out the Normandy church attack in France. The statement said: "They carried out the operation in response to the call to target the countries of the crusader coalition.”

Normandy Church Terror Wed, July 27, 2016 A PRIEST had his throat slit and several others were taken hostage after armed men stormed a church in northern France during morning mass today, with authorities describing it as an Islamist attack. Play slideshow Getty 1 of 22 ISIS releases chilling ‘video of Normandy attackers pledging allegiance to terror group'