French authorities are searching for a suspect who brutally stabbed a young Muslim worshipper dozens of times inside a mosque in La Grand-Combe, a village in the Gard region of southern France. Officials are treating the killing, which occurred on Friday, as a possible Islamophobic hate crime.

The attacker, who remains at large, reportedly filmed the victim’s agony on his mobile phone while hurling insults at Islam. French Prime Minister François Bayrou condemned the act as an “Islamophobic atrocity” in a statement posted Saturday on X (formerly Twitter).

“We stand with the victim’s loved ones, with the believers who are so shocked. State resources are mobilized to ensure the killer is apprehended and punished,” Bayrou wrote.

Details of the Attack

• The victim, described as a 23- or 24-year-old man originally from Mali, was well-known and highly regarded in the local community.

• According to authorities, the attacker initially prayed alongside the victim before launching a sudden, vicious assault, stabbing the young man up to 50 times.

• The killer then filmed the scene, shouting insults toward “Allah” — the Arabic word for God — before fleeing.

• The video was reportedly shared with another individual, who posted it briefly on a social media platform before removing it.

• Surveillance cameras in the mosque also recorded the assailant, who acknowledged he would be arrested, saying: “I am going to be arrested — that’s for sure.”

The victim’s body was discovered later that morning when other worshippers arrived for Friday prayers.

Investigation and Search Efforts

Regional prosecutor Abdelkrim Grini confirmed that the suspect, a French citizen of Bosnian origin who is not Muslim, has been identified but not yet captured. French anti-terror prosecutors are considering whether to formally take over the case.

“All possibilities are being considered, including that of an act with an Islamophobic dimension,” said Grini, emphasizing the seriousness of the crime.

The Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau also described the murder as “appalling,” offering his condolences to the victim’s family and expressing solidarity with the Muslim community, particularly given the attack occurred inside a place of worship on a sacred day.

Community Reaction

The brutal killing has deeply shaken La Grand-Combe, a former mining town with one of the highest unemployment rates in France. Residents and local Muslim community members described the victim as a “kind” and “respected” young man who had been living in France for several years.

Many in France’s broader Muslim community are calling for swift justice, fearing that the attack could signal an escalation in Islamophobic violence.