Arson Attack on the Church is the Third Incident in Last 12 Months

ALFORTVILLE, France—A fire erupted in the Armenian Evangelical Church of Alfortville at around 6 a.m. on the morning of April 2, in what is being described as an arson attack—the third attack on the church in the last 12 months.

According to reports, the flames woke Pastor Gilbert Léonian and his wife, who live in the first floor of the building.

Though no injuries reported in the incident, Léonian said that the two were shocked to wake up to the fire. The church’s entrance also sustained substantial damage as a result.

According to reports, a trash bin in front of the church was deliberately set on fire. Firefighters arrived on scene on time to stop the spread of the fire to the rest of the building.

Eight days earlier, stones were thrown against the facade of the church causing some damage. Léonian became the pastor of the church 18 months ago and leads the congregation of about 30 people.

The Mayor of Alfortville Luc Carvounas was quick to condemn the attack and expressed his solidarity with the church’s congregation and leadership.