In the past 18 months France has suffered seven deadly Islamist attacks. The murder of an 84-year-old priest in a church near the northern city of Rouen on Tuesday, was the latest tragedy to hit a nation which is already overwhelmed with grief and fear.

This incident came less than two weeks after an attacker ploughed a truck into Bastille Day revelers in Nice, killing 84 people. These were the latest in the recent spate of attacks that have collectively claimed the lives of 230 people.