Paris: A French security official says police have killed two attackers who used knives to seize hostages in a church near the Normandy city of Rouen.


The official said the identities of the attackers and motive for the attack on Tuesday are unclear. Interior Minister Bernard Cazenevue is en route to the town of Saint-Etienne-en-Rouvray where the hostage-taking took place, according to the official, who was not authorized to be publicly named.

The incident comes as France is under high alert after an attack in Nice that killed 84 people and a string of deadly attacks last year claimed by the Islamic State group.