In September 2016 two women parked a car near Notre Dame cathedral, central Paris, loaded with gas canisters and lit it, intending to set off a devastating firebomb. Their choice of diesel fuel stopped the incident from turning into a scene of “carnage”.
Five women are going on trial in Paris on Monday over a 2016 attempt to ignite a firebomb in front of busy restaurants in the heart of the French capital, reports France24.
On the night of 3 September 2016, Ines Madani and Ornella Gilligmann parked a grey Peugeot 607 without number plates on a street in front of busy restaurants near Notre Dame Cathedral in central Paris.
The women poured fuel over the car, packed with six gas canisters, and threw a lit cigarette at it.
According to the investigators, it was their choice of diesel fuel, less flammable than standard petrol that prevented a conflagration.
“Only a poor choice of petrol meant their attempt failed,” said investigative judges.
If the car had caught fire, the resulting firebomb would have led to “carnage”.
Madani, 19 at the time, used her father's car for the planned Notre Dame attack.
A previous trial over her terrorist activity showed she was in contact with key Daesh* figures in Syria, serving as something of a mentor for recruiting other women into homegrown terrorism in France.
Madani went on social networks using pseudonyms of Daesh fighters, posing as men while encouraging other women to join the group, at times courting other women…
