Dutch police thwart a major terrorist attack

Shafaq News/ The court in Rotterdam-Netherlands sentenced a terrorist group led by an Iraqi to up to 17 years in prison for preparing a major terrorist attack in the country.

The group, who came to be known as the 27 September cell, was arrested after an undercover police operation, started based on information from the AIVD in 2018. Two undercover police officers posed as weapons dealers and made contact with the prime suspect and group leader Hardi N. They supplied the group with deactivated rifles and bomb vests and trained them on how to use these weapons in a holiday home in Weert, where recording devices were installed beforehand.

During the trial, it was revealed that Pride Amsterdam was a target for the attack, but the group was unable to obtain weapons in time.

Public prosecutor Ferry van Veghel said during the trial that this would have been, "an attack the Netherlands has never seen, inspired by what happened in Paris. Our country has never been this close to such a major attack", he said.