Fighter jets, sniper units and more – details of 'major security operation' for Pope Francis' funeral revealed

Ahead of Pope Francis' funeral on Saturday, Italy and the Vatican are implementing a massive security plan.

It includes fighter jets, sniper units, airport-style security checks and a large police presence to manage the arrival of world leaders and hundreds of thousands of attendees.

A 24-hour no-fly zone over Rome has already been imposed, they write. foreign media, the Telegraph reports.

According to them, with royal delegations, presidents and hundreds of thousands of Catholic faithful heading to Rome after the death of Pope Francis, Italy and the Vatican are drawing up a massive security plan.

Francis' funeral will take place on Saturday, and cardinals have begun arriving from around the world for both the ceremony and the conclave - the secret ballot process to elect a new pope.

The Argentine's body has meanwhile been laid to rest in a grand ceremony in St. Peter's Basilica, attracting tens of thousands of attendees.

"We have been on alert since Monday," when the 88-year-old Francis died, said a member of the Swiss Guard, the army responsible for the Pope's security, famous for its colorful striped uniforms.

"And the next few days will be very difficult," the guard, who wished to remain anonymous, told AFP.

Tourists, already facing numerous construction sites in the Italian capital and poor public transport, now find themselves at the heart of a lockdown that will last several weeks.

Fighter jets also engaged

Fighter jets are on standby and special police sniper units have been deployed on the roofs of buildings along Via della Conciliazione, the wide road leading to St. Peter's Square.

A 24-hour no-fly zone over Rome is now in effect.

VIP political figures for the funeral include US President Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron of France, Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil and Javier Milei of Argentina.

The kings of Belgium and Spain will be in attendance, as will Britain's Prince William.

In total, between 150 and 170 delegations are expected – and all will need a police escort.

'Very strict controls'

As foreign media recall, Telegrafi reports, for the funeral of John Paul II in April 2005, more than 10,000 law enforcement officers were deployed in the 'Eternal City', which hosted around 200 delegations.

As Francis' body was laid out ready for the ceremony, Italian police set up checkpoints around the Vatican.

"The entire area of ​​St. Peter's, and not only that, will be subject to very strict controls," warned the Prefect of Rome, Lamberto Giannini.

Police helicopters fly relentlessly over the historic center of Rome and the approach to the Vatican.

Pilgrims entering St. Peter's must go through "airport-style" security checks, placing their belongings through X-ray scanners, while police conduct backpack checks in the area.

An officer told AFP that "several hundred police officers are on duty around the country."

The Italian Civil Protection Agency is deploying between 2,000 and 2,500 volunteers to supervise the faithful entering St. Peter's Square to pay their last respects or attend Francis' funeral.

Around 500 doctors and nurses from civil protection and the regional health service will be present, with ambulances on standby, agency spokesman Pierfrancesco Demilito told AFP.

"It is impossible to know" how many people will be present on the day of the funeral, as many believers may come and go, but "at least several hundred thousand" are expected, he was quoted as saying. /Telegraph/