Two brothers have been arrested in France over a “deadly and antisemitic” plot, according to the national anti-terror prosecutor’s office (PNAT).
The men, aged 22 and 20 and of Italian and Moroccan nationality, were detained on Tuesday, March 12th, near a prison in the northern town of Longuenesse.
Identified only as Elyasse H. and Moad H., the brothers were found with a semi-automatic weapon, a bottle of hydrochloric acid, aluminium foil, and a flag of the jihadist Islamic State group stretched across the headrest of the driver’s seat.
While in custody, the brothers admitted that “they had been planning a terror attack in France for which they aspired to martyrdom,” the PNAT stated. The office noted that the men had been exposed to jihadist propaganda and that their radicalisation had prevented them from travelling to Syria or Palestine to “wage jihad,” prompting them to target France instead.
Investigators also discovered a video made earlier this month in which Moad H. pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group. Authorities said he was “in contact with several individuals who are radicalised or under investigation or convicted of a terrorist offence.”
Encrypted messaging exchanges in the days before the arrests suggested the brothers were actively seeking handguns and assault rifles, indicating that a violent act was imminent, the PNAT added.
The brothers arrived in France with their parents in 2017. An investigation has now been opened into criminal conspiracy to commit terrorism, as well as the acquisition and carrying of weapons.
