(ZENIT News / Paris, 04.04.2024).- An Egyptian citizen affiliated with the Islamic State was arrested in Paris on March 5 for his intention to attack Notre Dame Cathedral.
The attack in Moscow on March 22, claimed by an Islamic group, prompted the French government to raise the terrorism alert level, according to French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal in a statement on Sunday, March 24: “Faced with the claim of responsibility for the attack by the Islamic State and the threats hanging over our country, we decided to raise the Vigipirate plan to its highest level: terrorism emergency.” The alert level was reduced to category two in January and has been raised to the maximum.
Paris’s focus as the host city for the Summer Olympics makes it attractive for potential attacks. Notre Dame Cathedral is an emblem of the city and of the Catholic religion, where Islamist radicals may attack, as they did in October 2020 at Nice Cathedral. Le Journal du Dimanche reported this on March 30, citing police and ministerial sources.
The person arrested and questioned is a 62-year-old Egyptian linked to the Islamic State and has been charged with terrorist conspiracy. He was placed in preventive detention on March 8, confirmed French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin to French television. The French government heightened terrorist alert especially for Easter week according to the report.
Also during Easter week, security was increased at the Sagrada Familia temple in Barcelona to prevent attacks like those that occurred during Christmas at the cathedrals of Vienna and Cologne.
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