Seven Arrested for Alleged Plot to Assassinate Pope Francis in Indonesia
Indonesia’s police announced the arrest of seven individuals on charges of plotting to assassinate Pope Francis in the country.
According to Reuters, Indonesia’s national police counterterrorism unit has arrested individuals suspected of planning an assassination of Pope Francis since September 2 in the cities of Bogor and Basakih in West Sumatra Province and Bangka Belitung Islands Province.
These individuals had published statements and images on social media threatening to carry out bombings at public events attended by Pope Francis in Jakarta. A spokesperson for the counterterrorism unit stated: “Investigations into the plot to assassinate Pope Francis are ongoing, and it has not yet been determined whether the seven detainees were connected to each other or are affiliated with a terrorist group.
During searches of one of the suspects’ homes in relation to the assassination plot against Pope Francis, authorities discovered a drone, ISIS newsletters, and bows and arrows, indicating that some of the arrested individuals had pledged allegiance to ISIS.”
The Indonesian special unit’s spokesperson also added: “The militants were upset about Pope Francis’s visit to the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, which is the largest mosque in Southeast Asia. They were also angered by the Indonesian government’s request to temporarily halt the azan broadcast on television during the live coverage of Pope Francis’s visit.”
It is worth noting that Pope Francis held an interfaith meeting at the Istiqlal Mosque, attended by leaders of the six official religions of Indonesia: Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Confucianism.
