Italian police on Thursday 28th April 2016 six warrants of arrest for people suspected to be linked to the dreaded Islamic State terrorist group.
Police report that at least three were conspiring to carry out attacks in Rome, specifically targeting the Vatican and the Israeli embassy.
In a transcript obtained from their tapped phone conversations, the three suspects mentions the Vatican and Israeli embassy in the Italian capital as potential targets.
A transcript of the wire-tapped phone conversations between three of the suspects mentions the Vatican and the Israeli embassy in the Italian capital as potential targets.
According to authorities, one of the suspects, Abderrahim Moutahrrick, is a Moroccan-born national residing in Italy.
Abderrahim Moutahrrick is believed to had received orders from the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) to conduct an attack in Rome specifically during the Holy Year of Mercy.
Moutahrrick is reported to have had communications with someone in ISIS held territory via WhatsApp reading: “Dear brother Abderrahim, I send you… the bomb poem… listen to the sheik and strike”, the referenced “sheik” being ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Warrants of arrest also issued for a Moroccan man, Mohamed Koraichi, and his Italian wife who had left Italy last year to travel to Iraq or Syria where ISIS controls territory.
Mohamed Koraichi is suspected of being the man who communicated with Moutahrrick to carry out the attacks.
Another Moroccan man identified as Abderrahmane Khachia, 23, who was planning to travel with them, was arrested in the northern city of Varese, according to prosecutors
Islamic State Takfiri terrorist group has much time stated its burning desire to attack and conquer Rome, while often mentioning the Islamic takeover of Jerusalem and Constantinople as ultimate goals.
