Spain church machete attack suspect was 25-year-old Moroccan

A 25-year-old Moroccan male was arrested in a machete attack that took place at two churches in southern Spain. One clergyman was killed, and the other was seriously injured, police said Thursday (26 January).

On Wednesday night (25 January), a man with a machete attacked several people at San Isidro's churches and Nuestra Senora de La Palma. The attack took place in Algeciras, a southern port city.

A spokesperson for Spain's National Police stated that police took the suspect to his house overnight to allow detectives to search.

According to police and court spokespersons, he is likely to be transferred to Madrid, Spain later in the day to face terrorism charges.

Local media reports claimed that the suspect was under surveillance by security personnel in the months or days before the attack. A police source refuted this claim.

According to the source, he had not been convicted of terrorism or criminal offenses in Spain or any other allied country. This is despite the sensitive nature of the case.

According to the source, the man was not legally in Spain and that his deportation proceedings began in June 2013 and is ongoing.

Diego Valencia, a sacristan in the Nuestra Senora de La Palma Church, was attacked and killed by an assailant.

Antonio Rodriguez, the priest at San Isidro's parish church, was also treated for serious knife wounds last night and is now in stable condition, according to the mayor of the city.

Local media reported that three more were hurt, but police didn't confirm.

Jose Antonio Landaluce, Mayor of Madrid, said that the knife used by the attacker narrowly missed the spine of the priest. He said that he had lost a lot blood and the stretcher was stained with blood. However, if all goes well, he could be discharged today," he told TVE.

The mayor of the city has declared a day of mourning and will host a gathering on Thursday at noon outside the church where Valencia was killed.

Fernando Grande-Marlaska from Spain, Interior Minister, will be visiting the city on Thursday. He stated that the police will search the suspect's house to determine if terrorism is at play.

He said: "There were no other people involved in what happened."

According to an interview with COPE radio, Jose Antonio Landaluce, Mayor of the City has also asked the Interior Ministry to increase security in the area.

For Moroccans arriving in Spain, the main entry point is the port of Algeciras in Andalucia.

Spain was the victim of the worst Islamist militant attack in Europe in 2004. More than 1,800 people were injured and 192 people died in multiple bombings that targeted Madrid's train network.

A High Court ruling stated that the perpetrators were connected to Al Qaeda as well as the Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group.

Nearly 200 people were injured and 16 died in an attack on pedestrians along Barcelona's Las Ramblas boulevard in 2017.

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