On 4 September 2016, a car containing seven canisters of gas and pages with Arabic writing was found parked near Notre-Dame de Pariscathedral in Paris.[2][3][4]
. . . Notre-Dame de Paris bombing attempt . . .
The car that was meant to be detonated was a grey Peugeot 607 with its license plates removed. It was packed with several gas canisters full of diesel fuel, some of which was used to douse the inside of the car. A lit cigarette was used in an attempt to initiate the explosion, however the fuel did not ignite and the perpetrators left the scene.[5]
“Information we were able to get from our intelligence services allowed us to act before it was too late,” said PresidentFrançois Hollande.[6] Inès Madani, accused of leading the bomb attempt, posed as a man under the name “Abu Omar” on social media to recruit jihadis to join her in attacking Notre Dame, and successfully recruited Ornella Gilligmann, a mother of three. According to Gilligmann, she then stopped hearing from “Abu Omar”, but was contacted by Madani.[7]
Police also arrested Amel Sakaou, 39, and Sarah Hervouët, 23.[8] All three women were armed with knives.[9] During the arrest, Hervouët, who was “completely veiled”,[10] stabbed a policeman.[11] Hervouët converted to Islam a few months before traveling towards Syria in 2015,[12] and was betrothed to Adel Kermiche,[13] one of the terrorists of the Normandy church attack. One of the arrested women was alleged to have had a letter professing allegiance to the Islamic State.[14] Two men said to be connected with ISIL propagandist Rachid Kassim were also arrested in connection with the plot.[7][needs update]
. . . Notre-Dame de Paris bombing attempt . . .