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An attacker stabbed Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and three others during a livestreamed sermon at a church in a suburb of Sydney, Australia on Monday, police and witnesses said.
The attack triggered clashes between angry hundreds of residents and police in western Sydney on Monday night, reports Reuters.
The prominent Orthodox Christian leader was allegedly stabbed at the altar of Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley, a suburb about 30 km (18 miles) west of downtown Sydney. Another priest was also injured in the attack.
Meanwhile, police arrested the alleged attacker, a 15-year-old male, at the scene.
The law enforcers were forced to hold the teenager at the church in Wakeley for his safety after huge protesters gathered outside the church and demanded the attacker be brought out.
The incident came as the second major stabbing attack in just three days after six people were killed in a knife attack at the Westfield Bondi shopping mall in Sydney on Saturday.
According to a video from a livestream on the church’s social media page, Bishop was speaking during an evening service at the Assyrian Christ The Good Shepherd Church on Monday when a man walked towards him and attacked with a knife.
The videos show that perplexed members of the congregation started screaming as the man stabbed the priest several times in the head and chest.
However, authorities are yet to disclose a motive for the attack. They could not identify the suspect.
Acting Assistant Police Commissioner Andrew Holland said over 100 police reinforcements arrived before the teenager was taken from the church. The crowd damaged several police vehicles at that time.