Plot to bomb church uncovered
On April 4, 2021, the 18 year-old woman was arrested in Béziers for planned terrorist attack against the Catholic church of the Notre-Dame de la Reconciliation. She reportedly had connections to the Islamic State a very disturbing profile. She is the third person under 20 to be charged in 2021 in relation to planning an Islamist‑inspired attack.
An 18‑year‑old woman, identified as Leila B., has been arrested and charged after investigators say she planned to build and detonate an explosive device at a church. Police allege that she confessed to intending to “attract attention” and “scare people,” although she had not specified a date for the attack.
Leila was detained on 8 April following a search of her room on 4 April. Officers discovered a range of alarming material, including sketches of weapons, extremist imagery and writings endorsing violence. Investigators report finding photographs and images associated with Islamist violence, references to the 2020 murder of teacher Samuel Paty, notes mentioning the Islamic State, and an apparent plan of a nearby church—believed to be Notre‑Dame de la Réconciliation. The search also uncovered items and residues consistent with improvised explosive manufacture, as well as a partially assembled device linked to a mobile phone battery, a sword and a large knife.
Moroccan security services alerted French authorities after intercepting online communications that raised concern. According to French prosecutors, messages sent by the suspect on 31 March to an interlocutor—who may have been a jihadist contact abroad—contained explicit threats against Christians, referencing Montpellier. She is also reported to have communicated with an individual claiming to be in Turkey who expressed intent to attack places of worship.
Social‑media activity attributed to the suspect indicates online radicalisation: her Twitter account was previously reported in March 2020 for sharing a video of an Islamic State execution. French media report that Leila is the third person under 20 to be charged in 2021 in relation to planning an Islamist‑inspired attack.
Authorities arrested Leila together with two family members. The investigation is ongoing. French prosecutors are overseeing terrorism‑related inquiries; further details will be disclosed as the judicial process proceeds.
Source: La Depeche, Le Monde
Picture: Unsplash