Australian PM condemns 'heinous' France attack

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday condemned the "heinous terrorist attacks" on worshippers in a church in the French city of Nice. A young Tunisian man armed with a knife and carrying a copy of the Quran attacked worshippers in church, killing three on Thursday.

This prompted the French government to raise its security alert to the maximum level hours before a nationwide coronavirus lockdown.

"Our thoughts are with all the people of France, wherever they are, our true and great friend. And we stand with President (Emmanuel) Macron and the government of France as they do all in their power to stamp out this terrible evil that has struck their country," Morrison said.

The attack in Mediterranean city of Nice was the third in less than two months that French authorities have attributed to Muslim extremists, including the beheading of a teacher who had shown caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad in class after the images were re-published by a satirical newspaper targeted in a 2015 attack. 

(Image Credits: AP)