Security authorities foil plan to attack football events during Paris Olympics

Security authorities in France have foiled a plan to attack football events during the Paris Olympics, the country's interior minister said on Friday.

Gerald Darmanin said in a statement that an 18-year-old man from Chechnya was arrested on May 22nd on suspicion of being behind a plan to attack football events that will be held in the city of Saint-Etienne, southwest of Lyon.

According to the initial investigation, the man was preparing an attack targeting the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium.

The aim of the attack was to target spectators and police forces, the statement said, adding that the suspect wanted to attack the Olympic events “to die and become a martyr”.

The Paris Olympics will run from July 26th to August 11th.

Football matches will take place in cities across France before the final in Paris’ Stade de France.