American teen arrested for alleged ISIS-style plot against Pope Francis

Baku. 16 September. REPORT.AZ/ A 15-year-old Philadelphia boy has been arrested over an alleged threat to launch a “homeland attack…targeting a foreign dignitary,” the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security said in a joint briefing. ABC News reported that the target was Pope Francis, Report informs citing Russian media.

“The minor was inspired by [ISIS] and sought to conduct a detailed homeland attack which included multiple attackers, firearms and multiple explosives, targeting a foreign dignitary at a high-profile event,”read the brief, which was issued on August 14.

Although the dignitary was not named in the brief, according to the unnamed sources, stating that Pope Francis was the target.

he boy’s identity has not been revealed, but the government said that the plot had been aspirational rather than planned. A source also told ABC that there had been questions as to the boy’s mental health.

“The minor obtained explosives instructions and further disseminated these instructions through social media,” according to the joint intelligence bulletin. The teenager was discovered to have had multiple firearms in his possession and was allegedly inspired by Islamic State.

He was charged with attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization and attempting to provide material support to terroristactivity.