French authorities say they have foiled an attack on football fans at the Olympic Games

French prosecutors have filed preliminary terrorism charges against an 18-year-old accused of planning an attack on soccer spectators at the Paris Olympics. The interior minister said it was the first foiled threat against the Games, which begin in eight weeks.

The suspect, who was arrested last week, is accused of planning a “violent action” based on jihadist ideology, the National Counterterrorism Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement on Friday.

The man, whose identity is unknown, is being held in custody pending the outcome of the investigation.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said in a statement that members of the General Directorate for Internal Security detained an 18-year-old man from Chechnya on May 22. He is accused of being behind a plan to attack Olympic football matches.

According to initial investigations, the man was preparing an attack on the Geoffroy Guichard Stadium in the southern French city of Saint-Etienne, where several matches will be played during the Games.

The planned attack was directed against spectators and police forces, the statement said. The suspect hoped to “die and become a martyr,” it added.

The Interior Minister said there were numerous potential threats, including those from Islamist extremist groups, violent environmental activists, right-wing extremist groups and cyberattacks from Russia or other adversaries.

The organizing committee of the Paris Olympic Games said it had been informed of the arrest and praised the intelligence and security services.

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