Plot to attack Pope Francis foiled

Indonesian police detained seven persons in connection with a failed plot to attack Pope Francis, who completed the first leg of his 12-day Asia-Pacific tour on Friday.

The men were arrested in Jakarta, in the outlying cities of Bogor and Bekasi, West Sumatra province and Bangka Belitung Islands province, according to The Straits Times, which cited a statement from Indonesia’s anti-terrorism squad, Detachment-88.

The 87-year-old pope’s trip to Indonesia is aimed to promote religious unity amidst concerns of extremism and intolerance.

The investigation is ongoing, and it remains unclear whether the detainees are connected or part of the same terror cell.

Detachment-88 spokesperson Aswin Siregar mentioned that the arrests followed a public tip-off.

The initials of the arrested are HFP, LB, DF, FA, HS, ER and RS, the statement said.

“There was also a threat to set fire to the locations,” Siregar added.

The detainees had their homes searched, revealing items such as bows and arrows, a drone, and ISIS leaflets.

Some of those arrested had pledged allegiance to ISIS. One detainee was reportedly a militant linked to the same group that attacked Indonesia’s former chief security minister Wiranto in 2019.

The militants were reportedly angered by the Pope’s visit to Jakarta’s Istiqlal mosque, and the government’s request for TV stations to avoid broadcasting the Islamic call to prayer during the Pope’s visit.

Pope Francis has warned against using religion to fuel conflict on his last day of his visit to Indonesia, the first stop in his tour around the Asia Pacific region.

At the Istiqlal mosque in the capital Jakarta, the Pope signed a declaration on religious harmony and environmental protection with the mosque’s grand imam and met with local leaders of six religions.

Indonesia’s long-standing battle against terrorism includes notable attacks such as the 2002 Bali bombing and the 2009 Jakarta hotel attacks.

(Agencies; Picture Courtesy: Indonesia Police, AP)