France foiled 3 attack plots targeting the Paris Olympics, prosecutor says

PARIS (AP) — French authorities foiled three plots to attack the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris and other cities that hosted the summer events, the national counterterrorism prosecutor said on Wednesday.

Olivier Christen said the plots included plans to attack “ Israeli institutions or representatives of Israel in Paris” during the July 26-Aug. 11 Olympic competition. The prosecutor told broadcaster France Info that “the Israeli team itself was not specifically targeted.” He didn't give further details.

In all, five people, including a minor, were arrested on suspicion of involvement in the three foiled plots against the Summer Games, which were held against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war and Russia’s war in Ukraine. The suspects are facing various terrorism-related charges while they remain in pretrial detention, the prosecutor said.

France was on its highest security alert in the months ahead of the Olympics and Paralympics, which wrapped up last week. During preparations for the Games, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin repeatedly warned that security threats included those from Islamic extremist groups, violent environmental activists, far-right groups and cyberattacks from Russia or other adversaries.

In May, members of the General Directorate of Internal Security arrested an 18-year-old man from Chechnya on suspicion of being behind a plan to attack Olympic soccer events that were held in the southern city of Saint-Etienne.

The planned attack was to target “bar-type establishments around the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium,” the prosecutor said. The suspect is accused of planning “a violent action” on behalf of the Islamic State group’s jihadi ideology.

Jihadists threats dominated the foiled plots and 80% of legal proceedings against suspects include the extremist ideology that still influences France’s youth, the prosecutor said. IS continues to “spread propaganda,” he added.

Preventive measures included increased house searches and house arrests before the start of the Olympics, the prosecutor said, adding that police and other security personnel conducted 936 house searches so far in 2024, compared to 153 last year.

France also strengthened its airspace defences during the summer Olympics and Paralympics, deploying war planes, attack helicopters, surveillance aircraft, military and police drones among others to patrol the skies over Paris and the Mediterranean port city of Marseille that hosted sailing and soccer events.

The French Air and Space Force completed more than 750 flight hours in 350 missions that resulted in 90 interceptions, according to a statement from the Defense Ministry on Wednesday.

Most interceptions were civilian drones, the statement said, adding that 85 drone operators were arrested. They were mostly tourists unaware of the regulations in place during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the statement said.

Two civilian drone operators were arrested for “delivering illegal equipment to a prison,” it added.

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This story has been corrected to show that the name of the stadium in Saint-Etienne is Geoffroy-Guichard, not Geoffroy.