Date 4 September 2016 | ||
Location 4th arrondissement, Paris, France | ||
In early September 2016, ISIL-related terrorists attempted to bomb the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris. A car containing 7 canisters of gas and pages with Arabic writing was found parked near Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
“Information we were able to get from our intelligence services allowed us to act before it was too late.” said President Francois Hollande.
Inès Madani, accused of leading the bomb attempt, posed as a man under the name name "Abu Omar" on social media to recruit jihadis to join her in attacking Notre Dame, and successfully recruited Ornella Gilligmann, a mother of 3. According to Gillingmann, she then stopped hearing form "Abu Omar," but was contacted by Madani.
Police also arrested Amel Sakaou (39) and Sarah Hervouët (23). All three women were armed with knives. During the arrest, Hervouët, who was "completely veiled," stabbed a policeman. Hervouët converted to Islam a few months before traveling to Syria in 2015, and was betrothed to Adel Kermiche, one of the terrorists of the Normandy church attack. One of the arrested women was found to have a letter professing allegiance to the Islamic State.
Two men said to be connected with ISIL propagandist, Rachid Kassim were also arrested in the plot.
2017 attack plot
In February 2017 4 people were arrested in Montpellier, including a 16-year-old girl and a 20-year-old man already known by authorities to have ties to extremist Islamist organizations, on charges of plotting to travel to Paris and attack the cathedral.