Residents of a small French town laid cards and flowers on Saturday at the scene where a "very kind" and "gentle" policewoman was seriously wounded in a knife attack the day before, the latest in a spate of attacks on officers.&nbsp;

The attacker, 39-year-old French citizen Ndiaga Dieye who was known to police and a diagnosed schizophrenic, stabbed the woman in La Chapelle-sur-Erdre near the western city of Nantes on Friday.

He then seized her firearm and fled, holding a young woman hostage for several hours before wounding two police officers during a shootout in which he was shot dead.

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In La Chapelle-sur-Erdre, Ines said she had often interacted with policewoman Katell Lereec, who had life-threatening injuries but is now out of danger.

"I am still very upset. I am very saddened for her, because she does not deserve this," the 77-year-old said.

"She is very, very kind, she is gentle, even when she speaks she speaks softly," she added.

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"We attack people like that who protect us. Who are we going to be protected by if we attack these people?"

Dieye had 19 previous convictions and had spent almost half his life in prison, where he was diagnosed as schizophrenic and had become radicalised.&nbsp;

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said Dieye had been on a watch-list of potential terrorist sympathisers.

Since Dieye finished serving his most recent jail sentence on March 22, he had found work and housing due to an integration association in La Chapelle-sur-Erdre.

His lawyer Vincent de la Morandiere said "it was a failure of the judicial system".

"He started serving time in prison at 17, he was convicted all the time and it didn't work," he added.

"He went back and forth between the concrete of the prison and the concrete of the city."

Dieye's most serious conviction was kidnapping and robbery after tying up an elderly couple and covering them with a blanket before searching their house in 2013.

His lawyer said he was "very uncommunicative" despite a family "who sacrificied themselves to try to help him".&nbsp;

Nantes prosecutor Pierre Sennes said that, depending on the outcome of ongoing investigations, the case was likely to be handed over to the anti-terror prosecutors.

Lereec, born in 1974, has a grown-up son, the town's mayor said.

She was recruited "as a youth worker at the end of the 1990s on social mediation missions," before taking the municipal police exam, mayor Fabrice Roussel said.

A hairdresser who runs a salon behind the police station said Lereec is "doing well, we've heard from her colleague, we can't wait to see her again".

The latest bloodshed comes after several attacks on police in France, leading officers to demand better protection and harsher punishments for attacks against them.

Residents of a small French town laid cards and flowers on Saturday at the scene where a "very kind" and "gentle" policewoman was seriously wounded in a knife attack the day before, the latest in a spate of attacks on officers.

Residents of a small French town laid cards and flowers on Saturday at the scene where a "very kind" and "gentle" policewoman was seriously wounded in a knife attack the day before, the latest in a spate of attacks on officers. The attacker, 39-year-old French citizen Ndiaga Dieye who was known to police and a diagnosed schizophrenic, stabbed the woman in La Chapelle-sur-Erdre near the western city of Nantes on Friday. He then seized her firearm and fled, holding a young woman hostage for several hours before wounding two police officers during a shootout in which he was shot dead. Also read | Russia approves Air France, Lufthansa routes which avoid Belarus In La Chapelle-sur-Erdre, Ines said she had often interacted with policewoman Katell Lereec, who had life-threatening injuries but is now out of danger. "I am still very upset. I am very saddened for her, because she does not deserve this," the 77-year-old said. "She is very, very kind, she is gentle, even when she speaks she speaks softly," she added. Also read | France reimposes strict Covid curbs on travel from UK "We attack people like that who protect us. Who are we going to be protected by if we attack these people?" Dieye had 19 previous convictions and had spent almost half his life in prison, where he was diagnosed as schizophrenic and had become radicalised. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said Dieye had been on a watch-list of potential terrorist sympathisers. Since Dieye finished serving his most recent jail sentence on March 22, he had found work and housing due to an integration association in La Chapelle-sur-Erdre. His lawyer Vincent de la Morandiere said "it was a failure of the judicial system". "He started serving time in prison at 17, he was convicted all the time and it didn't work," he added. "He went back and forth between the concrete of the prison and the concrete of the city." Dieye's most serious conviction was kidnapping and robbery after tying up an elderly couple and covering them with a blanket before searching their house in 2013. His lawyer said he was "very uncommunicative" despite a family "who sacrificied themselves to try to help him". Nantes prosecutor Pierre Sennes said that, depending on the outcome of ongoing investigations, the case was likely to be handed over to the anti-terror prosecutors. Lereec, born in 1974, has a grown-up son, the town's mayor said. She was recruited "as a youth worker at the end of the 1990s on social mediation missions," before taking the municipal police exam, mayor Fabrice Roussel said. A hairdresser who runs a salon behind the police station said Lereec is "doing well, we've heard from her colleague, we can't wait to see her again". The latest bloodshed comes after several attacks on police in France, leading officers to demand better protection and harsher punishments for attacks against them.

France hails 'gentle' policewoman stabbed in attack

A policewoman and two government employees were killed by terrorists in two Afghan provinces on Thursday, the latest in a string of targetted attacks in the country, sources said on Friday.

In northern Kunduz province, terrorists broke into a house, pulling a female police officer out and killing her on the spot, Mohammad Yousuf Ayubi from Kunduz Provincial Council told Xinhua.

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The deceased served in the provincial airport and an investigation has been launched into the incident, the source added.

In the second attack, two engineers of the National Water Affairs Regulation Authority, a department of the country`s Ministry of Power and Water, were killed after gunmen ambushed a vehicle in eastern Parwan province, local media Khaama Press reported.

On July 27, UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in a report that civilian casualties in Afghanistan decreased 13 per cent in the first six months of 2020 in comparison with the same period last year.

A total of 1,282 civilians were killed and 2,176 others wounded during the period, according to the report.

Targetted attacks were the third cause of civilian casualties after ground engagements and the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by the Taliban, the report indicated.

At least 30 people were killed in targetted attacks in the country last month.

A policewoman and two government employees were killed by terrorists in two Afghan provinces on Thursday, the latest in a string of targetted attacks in the country, sources said on Friday.

A policewoman and two government employees were killed by terrorists in two Afghan provinces on Thursday, the latest in a string of targetted attacks in the country, sources said on Friday. In northern Kunduz province, terrorists broke into a house, pulling a female police officer out and killing her on the spot, Mohammad Yousuf Ayubi from Kunduz Provincial Council told Xinhua. Also read: Afghan authorities begin release of 'dangerous' Taliban prisoners The deceased served in the provincial airport and an investigation has been launched into the incident, the source added. In the second attack, two engineers of the National Water Affairs Regulation Authority, a department of the country`s Ministry of Power and Water, were killed after gunmen ambushed a vehicle in eastern Parwan province, local media Khaama Press reported. On July 27, UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in a report that civilian casualties in Afghanistan decreased 13 per cent in the first six months of 2020 in comparison with the same period last year. A total of 1,282 civilians were killed and 2,176 others wounded during the period, according to the report. Targetted attacks were the third cause of civilian casualties after ground engagements and the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by the Taliban, the report indicated. At least 30 people were killed in targetted attacks in the country last month.

Policewoman, two govt staff killed in targeted attacks in Afghanistan

Pope&nbsp;Francis ordered his&nbsp;popemobile to stop on Thursday (January 18) after a mounted Chilean policewoman was thrown off her frightened horse, which had reared up as the pontiff passed by.

Francis stepped from his vehicle and waited several minutes on the pavement, at times talking to the woman, until an ambulance arrived to take her away.

She was not seriously injured, officials said.

Francis stepped from his vehicle and waited several minutes on the pavement, at times talking to the woman, until an ambulance arrived to take her away

Pope Francis ordered his popemobile to stop on Thursday (January 18) after a mounted Chilean policewoman was thrown off her frightened horse, which had reared up as the pontiff passed by. Francis stepped from his vehicle and waited several minutes on the pavement, at times talking to the woman, until an ambulance arrived to take her away. She was not seriously injured, officials said.

Watch: Pope stops popemobile to comfort fallen horseback policewoman

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