Spain, Germany condemn ‘heinous’ France attack as ‘barbarism’

Spain and Germany condemned Friday’s deadly suspected Islamist attack on a gas factory in their neighbour France, branding it “heinous” and vowing to stay united against “barbarism”.

“I firmly condemn the attack carried out in Lyon. Barbarism will always be confronted by unity among democrats. #Spain with #France,” Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy wrote in a message on Twitter.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said his country stands united with France against “terror’s blind hate” and in defence of “free society”.

Steinmeier said he was appalled by the “shocking news of a heinous murder and an assault with several injured”.

He called it an “act of terror and fanaticism which we condemn in the strongest terms”.

A severed head was pinned to the gate of the factory near Lyon in southwestern France during what French President Francois Hollande described as a “terrorist attack”.

Several other people were also injured in the attack, in which a suspect set off several small explosive devices, sources close to the investigation said.

The killing came nearly six months after the Islamist attacks in and around Paris that killed 17 people in January, starting with a shooting at satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.