Prosecutors in Italy say that the arrest of terrorist cell in Sardinia uncovered a plot in 2010 against the Vatican by Al-Qaeda operatives.
Earlier today, 20 warrants were issued and nine arrests were made in raids carried out in the southern Italian island. At a press conference in Cagliari, Prosecutor Mauro Mura told journalists that wiretaps revealed plans for a suicide bomb attack at the Vatican in March 2010.
Local media stated that some of those arrested were involved in the 2009 bombing in a market in Peshawar, Pakistan that killed 100 civilians.
Following news of the plot, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See Press Office, downplayed fears saying that there was no cause for alarm.
“From what it appears from the information provided, it is an idea that dates back to 2010 and it had no following. Thus, it is not a relevant fact today and is not a cause for particular concern,” Fr. Lombardi said in a statement released by the Holy See Press Office.