Two attempted attacks on Pope Francis, including one by a suicide bomber, were foiled during his landmark trip to Iraq in 2021, the pontiff has revealed in an autobiography.

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis turned 88 on Tuesday and marked the occasion with revelations that he almost didn’t make it. According to excerpts of his upcoming autobiography, suicide bombers had planned to attack him during his 2021 visit to Iraq, but were killed before striking.

Pope Francis has revealed he was the target of an attempted suicide bombing during his visit to Iraq three years ago, the first by a Catholic pontiff to the country and probably the riskiest foreign trip of his 11-year papacy.

Pope Francis has said he escaped a double suicide bombing during a visit to Iraq three years ago after the attempts on his life were foiled by British intelligence and Iraqi police. Francis made the revelation in his upcoming autobiography, Spera (Hope), excerpts of which were shared with Corriere della Sera on Tuesday, the pontiff’s 88th birthday.

According to the memoir, UK intelligence warned Iraqi authorities — who in turn told Vatican security — that the pope could be in danger during his 2021 visit to the country.

Pope Francis revealed that during his visit to Iraq in March 2021, two assassination attempts on his life were thwarted. It is known what happened to the would-be assassins. This topic is discussed in the autobiography set to be released in January.