Prince George on ISIS Hit List? Terrorist Group Supporters Send Threats on Instant Messaging App
Supporters of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have reportedly threatened the safety and security of 4-year-old Prince George. Encrypted posts of his school address and photos, along with alarming messages, found its way on a messaging app.
One of the posts on Telegram reportedly had the lyrics to a jihad song that spoke of bullets and retaliation. Authorities uncovered more hate-filled messages bearing Prince George's details and have not disregarded the threats.
"This threat to Prince George is chilling," Barry Spielman, a cybersecurity expert tracking the channel on Telegram for nearly a year said. "It's an encrypted platform, making it a lot safer to communicate without being traced."
Police in Britain confirmed being aware of the online activities in the messaging app. The force, however, won't comment anything further in order to protect its security operations for the son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Concerns about the young prince's security were raised a few days prior to the start of school at Thomas's Battersea in London. A resident complained she entered the grounds without any problems or prevention, while other locals residing around the school's site fear their location would be a big target for terrorist attacks.
Police also accosted a woman for attempted burglary a few weeks after classes started but Prince George was no longer in school. She received a stern warning but she was not jailed.
Thomas's Battersea in London have at least 550 students from 4-year-old to 13-year-old. New security measures were set up when the palace confirmed that Prince George will be attending the institution beginning September.
The palace, however, made no comments about the ISIS threats against Prince George's safety as of press time. Meanwhile, some Britons reacted to the news on Twitter.
"A plot to kill any child is evil," one netizen said. "I pray and hope nothing that sickening ever happens to our Prince George."