ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Five ISIS operatives arrested in France last Sunday were plotting to carry out an attack on France in the coming week, French authorities announced on Friday.
“An imminent attack was thwarted,” Paris Prosecutor Francois Molins told a news conference, according to Reuters.
Four of the suspects were arrested in Strasbourg while the other was detained in Marseille on Sunday.
“A Strasbourg commando team, and also a man arrested in Marseille, were given instructions to acquire arms,” Molins detailed. “The instructions were given by a commander from the Iraqi-Syrian region via encrypted apps.”
According to the Paris prosecutor they were planning to carry out attacks against police in Paris as well as the iconic Disneyland theme park in the city.
In the house raided in Strasbourg, police found documents written by hand which pledged allegiance to the ISIS group.
Four of the suspects are French, the fifth is Moroccan.
The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) launched an offensive against ISIS’ main stronghold in Syria, Raqqa, earlier this month after US authorities say they received intelligence that the group was planning attacks on western targets from there.
France has seen several terror attacks on its soil, including more than 129 people killed in Paris one year ago. France remains under a state of emergency.
“An imminent attack was thwarted,” Paris Prosecutor Francois Molins told a news conference, according to Reuters.
Four of the suspects were arrested in Strasbourg while the other was detained in Marseille on Sunday.
“A Strasbourg commando team, and also a man arrested in Marseille, were given instructions to acquire arms,” Molins detailed. “The instructions were given by a commander from the Iraqi-Syrian region via encrypted apps.”
According to the Paris prosecutor they were planning to carry out attacks against police in Paris as well as the iconic Disneyland theme park in the city.
In the house raided in Strasbourg, police found documents written by hand which pledged allegiance to the ISIS group.
Four of the suspects are French, the fifth is Moroccan.
The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) launched an offensive against ISIS’ main stronghold in Syria, Raqqa, earlier this month after US authorities say they received intelligence that the group was planning attacks on western targets from there.
France has seen several terror attacks on its soil, including more than 129 people killed in Paris one year ago. France remains under a state of emergency.
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment