Bank of America terror plot investigation in Paris

Authorities in Paris are investigating a foiled terrorist plot targeting the Bank of America headquarters. The investigation centers on a plan to use homemade explosive devices, which could have produced a fireball several metres in diameter. Two attempts to deploy the devices were reportedly made on the nights of March 26–27 and the following night, but police intervened before any detonation occurred.

Two Belgian nationals have been extradited to France and indicted in connection with the case. The first suspect, a 24-year-old woman from Liège, was charged with terrorist association and the possession and transport of explosives. Investigators stated she had recruited three adolescents, offering them between €500 and €1,000 each to place the device. A second 23-year-old Belgian woman has since been indicted and placed in pre-trial detention.

In total, six individuals have been indicted, with five currently in pre-trial detention. While investigators have suggested a possible link to the group ‘Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya’, a formal connection has not yet been established.