South African twins planned to blow up US embassy, Jewish sites
Two South African brothers planned to join ISIS, wanted to bomb US embassy, Jewish institutions in Pretoria.
Two South African brothers arrested on terrorism charges were plotting to blow up the US embassy in Pretoria and Jewish institutions, and planned to join Islamic State (ISIS), police said Monday.
The 23-year-old twins, Brandon-Lee and Tony-Lee Thulsie, appeared briefly in a Johannesburg magistrate court after being arrested at the weekend.
“It is alleged that they wanted to bomb the US embassy and Jewish facilities in the country,” Hangwani Mulaudzi, spokesman for South Africa’s elite police, the Hawks, told AFP.
The United States and Britain warned last month of possible imminent terrorist attacks by Islamic [terrorists] in South Africa’s major cities.
The US warning said attacks could target sites frequented by US citizens, including high-end shopping malls in the economic hub of Johannesburg and Cape Town, which is popular with tourists.
The two men, who are accused of planning to join the Islamic State terror group in Syria, were remanded in custody and will return to court on July 19 to allow for further investigation.
“They had been on our radar since 2015. They tried to leave the country twice, through OR Tambo airport and through Mozambique (to join ISIS),” Mulaudzi said.
