World leaders condemn terrorist attack in Nice

Leaders from around the world have expressed their solidarity with the people of France after the nation suffered a second suspected Islamist extremist attack on its soil in a fortnight.

As the government raised the terror alert level to the maximum ‘emergency’ level nationwide, President Emmanuel Macron announced that soldiers were to be deployed to guard schools and churches in France, vowing the French people would ‘not give in to any terror’ in fighting intolerance.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was appalled to hear of the ‘barbaric attack’ in Nice, adding his voice to that of Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab in stressing that the ‘UK stands steadfastly with France against terror and intolerance’.

US President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison also spoke out in support of France.

Meanwhile, Arab and Islamic leaders have also shared their condolences and support for France following the attack, in which three people were killed. Turkey, which is embroiled in a row with France over publication of cartoons of the prophet Muhammad that have triggered a wave of attacks against French people, was among the first to respond to the attack.

Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said that it ‘stands as a government and people with ... France in combatting this hateful incident’, while Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that ‘peace cannot be achieved with ugly provocation’.