Press
There are fears of attacks in Paris ahead of the Olympics. A suspect has now been arrested. He was apparently targeting a football match.
Paris – France has foiled plans for an Islamist terrorist attack on a football match during the Olympic Games this summer. An 18-year-old Chechen was arrested in Saint-Étienne in southern France, who wanted to carry out an Islamist-motivated attacke, the Interior Ministry in Paris announced on Friday (31 May).
According to the investigations so far, the man was actively preparing for an attack during one of the Olympic football games in the Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium in Saint-Étienne. He had targeted spectators and law enforcement officers with his attack plan and wanted to die as a martyr.
Interior Minister thanks investigators – Fear of terror grows in France ahead of the Olympic Games
France’s Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin thanked the terror investigators for their successful investigation. This was the first foiled attack plan during the Olympic Games and the 50th attack plan that the police had thwarted since 2017.
Islamist-motivated attacks keep happening in France. Most recently, an attacker stabbed a German at the Eiffel Tower in Paris with a knife in early December. The Olympic Games will take place from July 26 to August 11 in Paris and several other French cities. The Paralympic Games are scheduled for August 28 to September 8. The major event is accompanied by concerns about security and fear of possible attacks in terror-plagued France. The country is currently on the highest terror alert level. Tens of thousands of police officers are to secure the Olympic Games. (dpa)
#Attack #Olympic #football #match #France #foils #terrorist #act