The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has condemned the latest terrorist attack in France.

In a statement, an MFA spokesperson said that "Singapore strongly condemns the terrorist attack at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Nice".

Three people dead, one decapitated

The knife attack has left three people - two women and a man - dead.

They were attacked inside the church in the morning before the first Mass of the day.

According to Reuters, quoting a police source, one of the casualties was an elderly woman who was decapitated.

The MFA spokesperson extended the ministry's "deepest condolences to the bereaved families" and wished the injured a swift recovery.

"There can be no justification for such attacks against innocent civilians. Singapore has a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of violence and extremism", the statement said.

Noting the French government's decision to raise the national security alert to its highest level, MFA advised Singaporeans in France to remain vigilant and follow the advice of local authorities, with security measures and surveillance expected to be reinforced.

The BBC reported that the Mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi described the attack as an act of terror in a tweet on Oct. 29 (Singapore time).

Estrosi added that police have detained the attacker.

Je suis sur place avec la @PoliceNat06 et la @pmdenice qui a interpellé l’auteur de l’attaque. Je confirme que tout laisse supposer à un attentat terroriste au sein de la basilique Notre-Dame de #Nice06. pic.twitter.com/VmpDqRwzB1

— Christian Estrosi (@cestrosi) October 29, 2020

Reuters also reported that Estrosi told the press the suspect repeatedly shouted "Allahu Akbar (God is Greatest in Arabic)" after having been detained and shot by the police.

BBC reported that the male suspect, a 21-year-old Tunisian national, arrived in France earlier this month.

Samuel Paty attack

France has already been roiled by the murder of Samuel Paty, a school teacher, by Muslim Chechen Abdullakh Anzorov.

Anzorov beheaded Paty before he was shot dead by the police in Paris.

Paty had showed his students cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad as part of a lesson, though he had cautioned his Muslim students ahead of time to look away or leave the room if they thought they might be offended.

Anzorov targeted Paty because he showed the cartoons in class.

In response, France President Emmanuel Macron hailed Paty as a "quiet hero" and vowed that France would not give up its cartoons, leading to protests in countries like Bangladesh.

Macron also announced measures to counter radicalism, such as training imams in France and curtailing homeschooling.

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Top image from ERIC GAILLARD/AFP via Getty Images.