PARIS — French security authorities have thwarted a plot to target soccer events during the Paris Olympics, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin announced Friday in a statement.
On May 22, agents from the General Directorate of Internal Security apprehended an 18-year-old Chechen man suspected of orchestrating an attack on soccer matches scheduled to take place in Saint-Etienne, a city southwest of Lyon.
Early investigations indicate that the suspect was planning to attack the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium in Saint-Etienne, which will host multiple soccer matches during the Summer Games. The attack was intended to target spectators and police officers, with the suspect allegedly seeking to “die and become a martyr,” the statement said.
The Paris Olympics are set to take place from July 26 to August 11. Soccer matches will be held in various cities across France, culminating in the final at the Stade de France in Paris.