Indonesian authorities have detained seven individuals with suspected ties to ISIS who were allegedly plotting an attack on Pope Francis during his visit to Jakarta.

The arrests, which took place on September 2 and 3, 2024, in Jakarta and surrounding areas such as Bogor, Bekasi, West Sumatra province, and Bangka Belitung Islands province, were part of a broader investigation by the national police anti-terrorism squad, Detachment-88.

The suspects had reportedly planned to target Pope Francis during his stay from September 3 to 6, 2024, as part of his 12-day Asia-Pacific tour, which also included stops in Singapore and East Timor.

According to media reports, searches conducted at the homes of the suspects uncovered bows, arrows, a drone, and ISIS leaflets. Some of those arrested had pledged allegiance to ISIS, raising concerns about the extent of their network and potential for further attacks.

Colonel Aswin Siregar, a spokesman for Detachment-88, stated that the investigation is ongoing and it remains unclear whether the detainees are connected or belong to the same terror cell. "We have a mechanism to monitor and filter. We had tip-off information from members of the public," he said.

The plot was reportedly motivated by anger over Pope Francis' visit to Jakarta’s Istiqlal Mosque, the largest mosque in Southeast Asia, and the government's request for television stations to temporarily halt the usual broadcasting of the azan (Islamic call to prayer) in favor of live coverage of the Pope’s visit. Instead of airing the azan, television stations displayed a running text, which further incited the militants.

Pope Francis concluded the first leg of his tour in Indonesia and continued to Papua New Guinea, where he celebrated Mass and honored the Catholic Church's outreach to remote areas.

His visit to Vanimo, a secluded area on Papua New Guinea’s northwest coast, marked the second leg of his four-nation tour across Southeast Asia and Oceania. He is scheduled to travel to East Timor on Monday and conclude his tour with a visit to Singapore later in the week.