French Police Uncover Plans By Islamists To Attack Olympic Games, Made Arrest In Southern France.
French authorities have arrested an 18-year-old man in southern France over an alleged plot to attack a football stadium set to host events during this summer’s Olympic Games. The suspect, of Chechen origin, was detained in Saint-Etienne on May 22 after intelligence services uncovered evidence suggesting an Islamist-inspired attack.
Interior Minister Gérard Darmanin commended the intelligence services for thwarting the first known plot targeting the upcoming Olympics, which are set to begin on July 26. “We applaud the efficiency of the services and their exceptional mobilisation to ensure the security of the Games,” the Paris Olympic committee stated.
The suspect was apprehended after allegedly exchanging encrypted messages with known Islamists. Authorities reportedly discovered photographs and videos of the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium, the main venue for several football matches, on his phone and computer. Darmanin indicated that the suspect’s plan was to attack both spectators and security forces at the stadium.
In response to the foiled plot, France has heightened its security measures, deploying approximately 20,000 soldiers and over 40,000 police officers to safeguard the Games. Additional support will come from about 2,000 troops and police officers from other countries. The security services are also screening one million individuals involved in the Games, including athletes, local residents near the venues, medical staff, and volunteers.
France remains on high alert in the lead-up to the Olympics, given its history of Islamist attacks in recent years. Notable incidents include the 2020 beheading of secondary teacher Samuel Paty in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine by 18-year-old Chechen Abdoullakh Anzorov, who was later killed by police.
The successful prevention of this latest attack underscores the vigilance and preparedness of French authorities as they work to ensure the safety of the Olympic Games.
BBC.
