A first plot was foiled. An 18-year-old Chechen national was arrested by the General Directorate of Internal Security (DGSI) on May 22, as BFMTV learned from police sources. The defendant was suspected of planning to carry out an Islamist-inspired attack on national soil, targeting the football competitions planned in Saint-Étienne as part of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
According to initial findings of the investigation, the young man was planning an attack on the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium, where several football matches are to be held in the summer. The planned attack was aimed at spectators and members of the security forces.
The suspect was arrested at his home, although he had already made enquiries, according to a source close to the investigation. He was charged and remanded in custody. (…) RMCSPORT / BFMTV
‘(…) He would have liked to attack spectators, but also the forces of law and order, and wanted to die as a martyr,’ it continues. Actu17