French authorities arrested a 17-year-old in Sarthe suspected of planning large-scale terrorist attacks against Israeli, British, and U.S. embassies, as well as government institutions and schools, after finding an ISIS pledge and attack plans in his home.
French police have thwarted a major terror plot, detaining a 17-year-old male accused of planning coordinated attacks on foreign embassies and French institutions, including the Israeli, British, and American embassies, investigators confirmed Saturday.
The suspect was arrested Monday at his parents’ home in the Sarthe region, where he attempted to flee and sustained minor injuries. He was formally placed under investigation and incarcerated Friday, according to officials cited by AFP and Le Parisien.
ISIS Allegiance and Explosive Notes
A search of the residence uncovered:
- A pledge of allegiance to ISIS
- A list of schools in Le Mans, Sarthe’s main city
- Notations of liquid quantities, believed to be related to chemical or incendiary explosives
Investigators believe the teen also planned to target:
- The French Interior Ministry
- Media headquarters in Paris
- The European Parliament in Strasbourg
According to one source, the teenager confessed to plotting multiple attacks and expressed determination to carry them out, though admitted no operational steps had yet been completed due to their complexity.
Official Silence, Public Alarm
France’s national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office declined to comment, as did the suspect’s lawyer. The case underscores the persistent threat of radicalization among minors in France, where ISIS-inspired cells continue to exploit digital platforms to recruit and mobilize attackers.
With high-profile foreign targets and domestic institutions on his list, the foiled plot highlights France’s precarious balancing act: securing its own democracy while protecting allied nations’ presence on its soil.
