According to information confirmed by the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT), two 16-year-old high school students were arrested Tuesday in the Nord department by officers from the General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI) as part of an anti-terrorism investigation.
The teenagers are suspected of having manufactured and tested explosives with the intention of carrying out a jihadist attack, reportedly targeting in particular a well-known shopping mall in Lille. They were formally charged Friday evening.
The investigation concerns allegations including “criminal association with a view to committing a crime against persons” and “unauthorized manufacture of explosives in connection with a terrorist enterprise.” Authorities believe the two minors had prepared an explosive attack against several potential targets, allegedly inspired by online propaganda from the Islamic State group.
National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor Olivier Christen had recently warned that “the terrorist threat is multifaceted, with a very clear trend toward younger individuals being implicated.” This latest case appears to confirm that assessment.
The arrests come just one week after a knife attack in Paris targeting gendarmes, carried out by a man in his forties who had previously been convicted for similar offenses — an incident that reignited debate over the monitoring of released inmates.
Authorities continue their investigation into the minors’ activities and potential network connections.
