An Islamic Attack Planned Against a Church in Montpellier

Case information
Incident date
Country
France
Categories
  • Social Hostility / Intolerance
Attack Against
  • Faith
Perpetrator / Motive Indicators
  • Islamist
Hate Crime & Violent Incidents
  • Threats
Religious Freedom / Discrimination
  • Other (text field)
Place of Incident
  • Church
Bias Indicators
  • Comments/Written Statements/Gestures/Graffiti
  • Racial/Ethnic/Gender/Cultural Differences
  • Significance of Property/Structure/Location to religious community
  • Victim/Witness Perception
Reported to Police
  • Yes
Response of Local Authorities
  • Investigated
Image credit: Jeremiah Higgins on Unsplash

On the 7th of April, the French authorities received information from the Moroccan General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance (DGSI) about a French woman of Moroccan origin who lives in Béziers. This woman was "planning an imminent terrorist operation targeting a church in France." According to the investigations, she lives in Dévèze, a ‘’sensitive’’ district of Béziers, and intended to carry out the act. The investigators found in her flat a sword and mechanism as well as materials to make TATP, which is a powerful explosive. The woman remains in custody.

Sources