SICK ISIS supporters have been celebrating the Notre Dame fire – after the terror group failed to blow it up in 2016.
Their taunts came after the beloved medieval cathedral went up flames early yesterday evening, causing the spire and roof to collapse.
Firefighters – who had risked their lives to save the cathedral’s treasures – fully extinguished the blaze this morning.
In 2016 the French authorities foiled a plot to blow up a car packed with gas canisters near Notre Dame.
At the time it was reported the mastermind of the plot was an ISIS jihadist known as Abu Mohammad al-Adnani, who was killed in August 2016.
According to a terror expert, ISIS supporters have now claimed the blaze a “blow to the heart of the crusaders”.
They also sent out messages of “Allahu Akbar” – God is great – on social media as the spire of the church collapsed, said Rita Katz of the Site Intel group.
“ISIS supporters’ celebration of Notre Dame Cathedral fire—which they call a blow to ‘hearts of the crusader leaders’—shows not just zealotry, but how pathetically they’ll grasp at anything as victory,” she tweeted.
Last week one of three women allegedly involved in the 2016 plot was last week sentenced to eight years in prison for other offences, French media reported.
SICK TAUNTS
Ines Madani, 22, was accused of encouraging would-be jihadists to go to Syria and participate in attacks against France between March 2015 and June 2016.
Madani’s trial for trying to set fire to the car filled with six gas cylinders near Notre Dame will begin on 23 September.
It is believed a "stray flame" linked to £5million renovation work sparked the inferno in the loft at Notre Dame at around 5.30pm local time.
Fire chiefs said the two towers and the main structure of the cathedral had been saved by 400 heroic firefighters after they battled long into the night.
Among the most precious is a relic venerated as the Crown of Thorns worn by Jesus Christ – considered Paris’s equivalent of the Crown Jewels – and its three stained-glass rose windows.
French billionaire François-Henri Pinault, who is married to Hollywood actress Salma Hayek, immediately pledged €100million (£82m) to restoring the cathedral.
Meanwhile the Queen has sent a message of condolence to France's President Emmanuel Macron.
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"Prince Philip and I have been deeply saddened to see the images of the fire which has engulfed Notre-Dame Cathedral.
"I extend my sincere admiration to the emergency services who have risked their lives to try to save this important national monument.
"My thoughts and prayers are with those who worship at the Cathedral and all of France at this difficult time."
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