A plot to assassinate Pope Francis during his historic 2021 visit to Iraq was thwarted after British intelligence uncovered the plan, according to excerpts from the Pope’s forthcoming autobiography, Hope.

The Pope reveals that shortly after landing in Baghdad in March 2021, he was informed of an imminent threat involving two suicide bombers targeting one of his scheduled events. Both attackers were intercepted and killed before they could carry out the attack, the Pope writes in excerpts published by Corriere della Sera.

The three-day visit marked the first-ever papal trip to Iraq and occurred during heightened sectarian violence and the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite widespread warnings against the journey, Pope Francis says he felt compelled to proceed to support Iraq’s Christian community, which had been decimated by years of persecution by groups like the Islamic State.

British intelligence reportedly tipped off Iraqi authorities about the plot, enabling the police to act swiftly. One assailant, a young woman carrying explosives, was en route to Mosul, while a van was racing towards the Pope’s location with similar intent.

The Pope recalls asking a security official about the fate of the attackers. “The [official] replied laconically: ‘They are no more.’ The Iraqi police had intercepted them and blown them up,” he wrote.

The autobiography, scheduled for release on January 14, sheds light on the challenges and risks the Pope faced during the visit, underscoring the intense security measures in place.

The Vatican has yet to comment on the revelations, according to Reuters.