According to sources, security forces in France foiled a plan to attack soccer games during the Paris Olympics.
France’s interior minister, Gerald Darmanin, said in a statement that an 18-year-old Chechen man was arrested on May 22 on suspicion of being behind a plan to assault soccer activities in the southeastern city of Saint-Etienne, roughly 260 miles south of Paris.
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The national counterterrorism prosecutor’s office released a statement later on Friday, alleging that French officials have filed preliminary terrorist accusations against the man, accusing him of plotting “violent action” in support of the Islamic State group’s jihadist ideology. Investigators are holding the man in detention while they continue their investigation.
According to preliminary findings, the individual planned an attack on the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium in Saint-Etienne, which will host many soccer events during the Summer Games.
According to the statement, the planned attack was to target onlookers as well as police. The suspect intended to assault Olympic events “to die and become a martyr,” according to the statement.
Darmanin, the interior minister, did not identify a specific security danger to the soccer event but did state that there are several potential threats, including those from Islamic extremist groups, violent environmental activists, far-right parties, and cyberattacks from Russia or other foes.
After learning of the arrest, the Paris Olympics organizing committee congratulated the intelligence and security agencies. “Security is Paris 2024’s foremost priority. We are working closely with the Interior Ministry and all stakeholders on a regular basis and will remain fully mobilized,” the statement read.
The Paris Olympics will take place from July 26 to August 11. Soccer matches will take place in venues around France before the final at Paris’ Stade de France.
With 10 million tourists and 10,000 participants expected for the games, France is on high alert for attacks.
Many people are concerned about the July 26 opening ceremony, which will take place along a 4-mile section of the Seine River. For the first time, the summer Olympics will begin outside of an athletics stadium.
In April, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that the opening ceremony might move to the nation’s national stadium if the security threat was too high.
Macron announced the unprecedented mobilization of France’s law enforcement personnel to secure the open-air event, adding, “but if we think there are risks, depending on our analysis of the context, we have fallback scenarios.”
The organizers had planned a magnificent opening celebration for up to 600,000 people, with the majority watching for free from riverbanks. However, security and logistics concerns have caused the administration to gradually scale back its objectives. Earlier this year, the entire attendance dropped to roughly 300,000.
The French government has decided not to allow tourists to watch the opening ceremony for free due to security concerns. Instead, free access will be available by invitation only.
