French security authorities foil plans to attack football events during the Olympic Games in Paris

French security authorities have foiled an attack on football events during the Olympic Games in Paris, the French Interior Minister said on Friday.

Gerald Darmanin said in a statement that members of the General Directorate for Internal Security arrested an 18-year-old man from Chechnya on May 22. He is accused of being behind a plan to attack football events in the southern city of Saint-Etienne.

According to initial investigations, the man was preparing an attack on the Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium in Saint-Etienne, where several football matches will be played during the Summer Olympics. The planned attack was directed against spectators and police forces, the statement said. The suspect wanted to attack the Olympic events “in order to die and become a martyr,” the statement continued.