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Hollande confirms French police officials’ murder is terrorism

President Francois Hollande has confirmed that the murder of two police officials by a man who claimed allegiance to so call Islamic State (ISIL) is ‘unquestionably a terrorist act’. The attacker has been named a Larossi Aballa and stabbed a policeman to death shortly before taking his partner, also a police official, and their three year old child hostage. The child survived the attack and was rescued by French police, however the partner was later found dead. Aballa was killed during the police assault on the couple’s home in Magnavile, hours after posting 13 minute live video on Facebook, in which he swore allegiance to IS. Aballa had been previously convicted of ‘criminal association with the aim of preparing terrorist acts’ in 2013, in which he was sentenced to a three-year term in prison. The news comes as France continues to maintain a high alert as it hosts the Euro 2016 football championship. Interior ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet said: “This commander, this police officer was killed by the individual... (and) we discovered the body of a woman. The assailant, the criminal was killed. Thankfully, a little boy was saved. He is safe and sound.” President Hollande said: "It's unquestionably a terrorist act.” He continued to stress that France was still ‘facing a very significant terrorist threat’.

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