Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the brutal killing of a Muslim worshipper inside a mosque in southern France, emphasizing that racism and religious hatred have "no place" in the country. "Freedom of worship cannot be violated," Macron stated on X, expressing his support to "our fellow Muslim citizens" in the wake of Friday's deadly attack in the village of La Grand-Combe in the Gard region.

According to Anadolu Agency, Prime Minister Francois Bayrou also condemned the killing, describing it as an "Islamophobic atrocity." The French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) labeled the incident an "anti-Muslim terrorist attack" and called for vigilance among the Muslim community. Jewish organizations expressed their outrage as well, with the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (CRIF) denouncing the murder as a "despicable crime that must revolt the hearts of all French people."

The suspected attacker, Olivier H., a French citizen of Bosnian origin born in 2004, surrendered to authorities at a police station in Pistoia, Italy after being on the run for several days, according to Franceinfo. He was taken into custody, and extradition proceedings are underway to return him to France.

Authorities reported that the 24-year-old victim, a Malian national, was stabbed between 40 and 50 times while praying inside the mosque early Friday morning.