Sources close to the investigation into the foiled terror plot during the French presidential race have revealed the Islamic radicals involved targeted Marine Le Pen, local bars and polling stations.
During the first round of the French presidential election in April, police in Marseilles foiled a terror attack aimed at disrupting the election.
New reports show Islamists were targeting anti-mass migration Front National leader Marine Le Pen and polling stations themselves L’Express reports.
The two men arrested, aged 23 and 29, were looking to disrupt the election according to a source close to the official investigation. The report backs up statements shortly after the men were arrested from the Front National who said they believed the terror attack was directed at Le Pen.
The Front National released a statement on the leaked information saying, “It is surprising, exceptional and utterly unacceptable that neither Marine Le Pen nor her campaign team was informed by the authorities of this very serious threat. It would still be unknown to them if press leaks had not occurred.”
The party also called for the French Minister of Justice to open an inquiry as to why the information had not been released.
Along with their attack on Le Pen the two men, identified as 23-year-old Clément Baur and 29-year-old Mahiedine Merabet, also planned to attack polling stations on the first round election day.
Bars said to be frequented by Americans, Israelis, and Russians were also targets according to the source.
The two men are said to have met at Sequedin prison where they were both radicalised. French prisons have become centres for Islamic radicalisation and many involved in terror attacks in France have been petty criminals who have become radicalised while serving a prison sentence.
An estimated 60 per cent of the French prison population are Muslims and radical Salafist preachers have become prominent in certain prisons.
While the Marseilles attack was thwarted France was still rocked by a terror attack during the French elections when a radical Islamist shot at police on the Champs Elysees killing one. The attack occurred during a televised debate among the candidates only days before the first round vote.
Earlier this month another attempted terror attack occurred in Paris when a man, said to have been self-radicalised, attacked police officers with a hammer near the Notre Dame cathedral. The Algerian injured one officer and was then shot in the chest and subdued by the officers.