Islamic State releases video of French church attackers pledging allegiance to IS

  • Video report by ITV News correspondent Juliet Bremner

Two men who murdered a French priest are seen pledging allegiance to so-called Islamic State in a video released by the terror group's news agency.

Adel Kermiche and a man identified as Abdel Malik P killed Father Jacques Hamel in a church in Normandy on Tuesday.

They are seen speaking Arabic and referring to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in the video released by the group's Amaq News Agency.

One of the attackers is also seen holding a laptop which displays an IS flag.

The terrorists, who were both 19, forced the 85-year-old priest to kneel before cutting his throat.

They also used nuns as "human shields" as police tried to end the hour-long siege by entering the church.

Kermiche was known to the security services having spent time in prison for trying to reach Syria.

His accomplice was earlier named by a French judicial source as Abdel Malik P, who was not known to French intelligence.