Police in Spain have raided the home of a Moroccan man who was arrested over machete attacks at two churches that left a church worker dead and a priest seriously injured in the southern city of Algeciras.
Officers are still looking into the motive of the attack, but a National Court judge is investigating it as a possible act of terrorism.
The suspect, identified as 25-year-old Yassine Kanjaa, is believed to have acted alone.
Police searched his home to “determine the nature, terrorist or otherwise”, of the assault, according to Spanish interior minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska.
The interior ministry said the suspect is a Moroccan citizen with no prior criminal record “in Spain or any other country”.
It added that the suspect had been under a deportation order since June last year because of his unauthorised migrant status in Spain.
Kanjaa had previously been arrested in neighbouring Gibraltar, which sits across a bay from Algeciras, in August 2019 when he attempted to “come ashore from a jet-ski without the necessary documentation”, authorities said. He was deported days later.
Wednesday night’s attacks have shaken the multicultural city located near the southern tip of Spain.
Witnesses claim that in the second incident, the attacker jumped on the altar of the Church of Nuestra Senora de La Palma, wielding a machete.
He then attacked a church worker who was preparing Mass inside the church and chased him into a town square before killing him.
Earlier, a priest had been wounded at the San Isidro church, just minutes away from Nuestra Senora de La Palma.
The injured priest, Antonio Rodriguez, is now back in his community following the ordeal.
Residents gather after a minute of silence for a church sacristan who was killed in Algeciras
The Algeciras town hall identified the dead church worker as Diego Valencia.
Another man who worked alongside Mr Valencia at the church, Manolo Gonzalez, said the suspect climbed on the altar and Mr Valencia came out “and asked to know what was going on”.
Candles and flowers adorned the two small churches with whitewashed walls on Thursday, while flags were flown at half-mast in Algeciras.
A minute’s silence and a vigil were also observed by the community, including a significant contingent from the city’s Moroccan population.
People light candles next to a memorial site for at a vigil following the attack
The family of victim Mr Valencia gathered inside Nuestra Senora de La Palma to receive the condolences of minister Mr Grande-Marlaska and concerned residents.
The cosmopolitan port city of Algeciras is the first point of arrival for many boats and ferries from North Africa, prompting governmental debates on irregular migration.
The Islamic Commission of Spain, which represents Muslims in the country, condemned the “abominable, murderous and heartless act” in “a sacred space for our Catholic brothers in Algeciras”.
