The terrorist who shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ as he beheaded a woman and killed two others in an attack on a Catholic church in France was pictured last night.

Brahim Aoussaoui , a 21-year-old Tunisian who arrived in Europe on a migrant boat just last month,attacked worshippers with a 12-inch blade in the Notre Dame basilica in Nice slitting the throat of an elderly woman in a beheading attempt. He then hacked sacristan Vincent Loques ,a 54-year-old father-of-two, to death, while Brazilian-born mother Simone Barreto Silva , 44, also succumbed to her injuries after seeking refuge in a nearby burger bar. Her last words were to paramedics, who she told: ‘Tell my children that I love them’.

The assailant was shot 14 times and wounded by armed police as he screamed ‘God is greatest’ in Arabic during the attack and ‘while under medication’ as he was taken to hospital.

Nice’s Mayor Christian Estrosi said. Investigators found two unused knives, a Koran and two mobile phones, in addition to a bag with some personal effects. He was unknown to
French security services.

The attack comes amid fury across the Islamic world at President Macron for defending satirical cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, and on the day that Sunni Muslims mark the Prophet’s birthday.

Several Muslim-majority countries launched campaigns to boycott French products, while protesters burnt the tricolor and posters of Macron at demonstrations in some Islamic countries.