Italy police uncover terror plot targeting Vatican and Israeli embassy in Rome
Italian police were successful in uncovering and preventing planned terrorist attacks on the Vatican and Israeli embassy in Rome, leading to the arrest of four Morrocan individuals who are suspected to be Islamic extremists.
Milan prosecutor Maurizio Romanelli appeared in a press conference on April 28 and told reporters that the transcripts of wiretapped conversations between three of the arrested suspects have clearly pointed to the planned attacks on the Vatican and Israeli embassy in Rome. Romanelli added that the suspects used the WhatsApp messenger service in their communication and described the messages as promoting lone-wolf attacks and that they were "very strong, very serious, and very efficient."
"This is a new profile, because it was not a generic indication, but an indication given to a specific person who was invited to act within the territory of the Italian state," Romanelli informed the Italian press, according to Ansa.
The prosecutor said they decided to act fast and issued the arrest warrants right away to the four arrested suspects who were still in the northern Lombardy region and for the fugitive couple who may already be in Syria.
The arrested suspects were Moroccan Abderrahim Moutahrrick and his wife Salma Bencharki, the 23-year-old Moroccan Abderrahmaneth Khachia, and the sister of a fugitive couple. The fugitive couple are 39-year-old Alice Brignoli and her husband Mohamed Koraichi. The couple are suspected to have left Italy in late 2015 for Syria with their three small children.
Romanelli said that they have proof indicating Islamic State terrorist's link with Moutahrrick and that the latter is under orders to carry out attacks specifically in Rome. Authorities believe Koraichi is the IS fighter in Syria who gave Moutahrrick the directive. In a recorded conversation, Moutahrrick is caught talking to Koraichi saying, "For these enemies I swear if I manage to bring my family to safety, I swear I will be the first to attack...in this crusading Italy...the Vatican with the will of God."
