On Wednesday, a man carrying a machete murdered a sexton. He injured a priest in attacks on two churches in the city of Algeciras before being captured, according to Spain's interior ministry. Authorities are examining the incident as a probable act of terrorism.

The suspect was apprehended in the city in the south and is currently in the custody of the National Police of Spain. The ministry was not able to identify him, CBS News reported.

Machete Attack at Spanish Church

The ministry said the armed guy entered the San Isidro church at around 7:00 p.m. and attacked a priest, who was gravely hurt. The attacker then walked five minutes to a second church, the Nuestra Senora de La Palma, where he entered and resumed his spree by attacking the sexton.

According to the ministry, the sexton, whose job is maintaining the church, escaped outdoors, where the attacker fatally wounded him in a public area. The town administration of Algeciras recognized the sexton as Diego Valencia and the wounded priest as Antonio Rodrguez. According to the city hall, he is hospitalized and in stable condition.

According to local media, at least three other persons were hurt. The National Court of Spain said a judge had launched an inquiry into a probable terrorist act.

The interior ministry said police are investigating the event to ascertain the "nature of the attack." It supplied no other information on the attacker's suspected motive. The Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, also expressed his sympathy. Francisco Garca, the secretary general of Spain's Episcopal Conference, remarked on Twitter, "I received the news of the incident in Algeciras with great sorrow."

A conference is a Rome-based group of Catholic bishops from Spain. The city council proclaimed a day of mourning during which flags would fly at half-staff. Per AP News, Mayor José Landaluce stated, "We are all stunned by these deeds, which have filled us with pain."

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Spain Deadly Machete Attack Victims

The man entered the San Isidro church and assaulted Rodriguez, according to the police. According to a statement by the Algeciras Salesians, Rodriguez, 74, was attacked while celebrating Eucharist. The attacker then entered the Nuestra Senora de La Palma church, where he vandalized property before stabbing Valencia.

Valencia escaped the church but was pursued by the suspect, who inflicted more fatal wounds on him outside, according to a police statement. Juan Jose Marina, the parish priest of Nuestra Senora de La Palma, said that the suspect walked directly to Valencia after the mass, indicating that he may have mistaken Valencia for the priest.

"Perhaps this death was intended for me, but it found him instead," cried Marina. On his Twitter account, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez extended his sympathies to the victims of the "awful assault." At the same time, Francisco Garcia, secretary general of Spain's Episcopal Conference, expressed his "deep grief" upon hearing the news.

The mayor of Algeciras has proclaimed a day of mourning for Thursday and a gathering outside Nuestra Senora de La Palma church at noon, as per Global News.

Earlier on Wednesday, two people were murdered, and numerous others were injured when a stateless Palestinian man, 33 years old, attacked them with a knife on a regional train traveling between Kiel and Hamburg in northern Germany, according to the authorities.

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