French officials arrested three women on Thursday for plotting a terrorist attack after police found a bomb-laced car near Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral over the weekend, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said late Thursday.
One of the women, a 19-year-old who had stolen her father’s car for what authorities believe was a trial run attack, stabbed a police officer during the arrest and was wounded after another officer shot her.
“These three women aged 39, 23 and 19 had been radicalized, were fanatics and were in all likelihood preparing an imminent, violent act,” Cazeneuve said in a press conference. Seven people have been detained in connection with the incident.
Late Saturday, police discovered a Peugeot 607 containing six full gas cylinders and three jerry cans of diesel fuel parked near the landmark cathedral, but no detonator. Papers with Arabic writing were also found in the car, which did not have license plates and had its hazard lights on.
Police said the unnamed 19-year-old was known by national authorities for wanting to travel to Syria.
