FRENCH security services have foiled a plot for an "Islamist-inspired" attack which was planned for during this summer's Olympic Games.
The country's domestic intelligence agency arrested 18-year-old Rokhman B. who is suspected of organising an attack on a football game in Lyon.
The Chechen immigrant to France is said to have wanted to disrupt games planned in Saint-Étienne, a city in the east of the country, and "die a martyr" by killing spectators or police officers.
France's interior ministry said he had been detained for "actively preparing an attack against the Geoffroy Guichard stadium [in Saint-Etienne] during the football games that will take place there."
An investigating source said: "His first attack has been foiled.
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"He is currently in custody and being linked to Islamist groups."
The Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin said in a statement: "[I want to] congratulate the intelligence services which once again demonstrate their full mobilisation and their effectiveness in the fight against terrorism and the protection of our country."
He added: "This is the first foiled attack against the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the 50th attack foiled by our intelligence services since 2017."
The teenager was not known to the police and had moved to France with his family from Russia only last year.
He is believed to have already carried out reconnaissance on the stadium with police finding videos and pictures on his phone and laptop in support of ISIS.
The suspect was arrested at his home, after he had already conducted reconnaissance, according to the source.
During a search carried out by the police, investigators found a photo of the Saint-Étienne stadium on a computer, as well as videos.
He was indicted last Sunday on a range of terrorism-related charges and placed in pretrial detention while denying any wrongdoing.
Instead, he admitted to "conversations" on encrypted messaging platforms, but claimed they were harmless.
Six football matches from the men's and women's tournaments are set to take place at the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium in Saint-Étienne between July 24 and 31 as part of the Olympics.
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The plot was foiled by the General Directorate of Internal Security (DGSI), said the source.
His family had submitted an asylum application to Ofpra, and Rokhman B. was planning to enroll at university before his conspiratorial conversations on Telegram messaging were recorded by the DGSI.
According to investigators, the Chechen unequivocally mentioned his intention to commit an attack at the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium during the Olympics football.
"If I carried out an attack there, it would cause a lot of victims," wrote Rokhman B., in an exchange written in Cyrillic.
This suggested that those he was communicating with were Russian speakers from an ISIS offshot.
He said he wanted to kill "disbelievers" – whether spectators or police officers – before "dying a martyr".
It comes as the threat of terrorism in Europe by radical jihadists is at an all-time high.
Previously, ISIS-K - an Afghanistan-based offshoot of ISIS - issued threats against cities including Paris and London.
The Al Azaim Foundation, a media channel responsible for disseminating messages from ISIS-K shared a post threatening an attack on four stadiums, also including the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid.
Games targetted included Arsenal versus Bayern Munich at the Emirates Stadium, and PSG vs Barcelona at the Parc des Princes.
Meanwhile, the Paris Olympics chief promised a ring of steel at the opening ceremony amid fears it may have to be moved due to terror threats.
Tony Estanguet insisted that “security is the priority” to ensure the safety of 15million fans and more than 10,000 athletes.
But the July 26 ceremony along the River Seine — the first not held in a stadium — has already been scaled back from 600,000 spectators to 300,000.
Meanwhile, a knifeman was today shot and reportedly killed by cops after a stabbing rampage at an anti-Islam rally in southwest Germany.
The horror ordeal unfolded at a gathering in Mannheim for the BPE political group, which is known to hold anti-Islam views, and was live-streamed to thousands on YouTube on Friday morning.
Western intelligence revealed how cops stopped at least 12 terror attacks in the past 12 months across Europe.
Ten jihadist attacks have been bravely intercepted and prevented in Europe last year, says Dutch intelligence agency AIVD.
Among the attacks foiled include stabbing rampages at global events, and barbaric assaults on specific venues and groups being targeted, the annual report revealed.
AIVD didn't elaborate further on where the 10 attacks were set to take place.
