French police arrest teenager allegedly planning suicide attack at Paris Olympics

AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool

Law enforcement officials in France have arrested a 16-year-old boy who was allegedly planning to carry out a suicide attack at the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris this summer. The teenager was taken into custody by French anti-terror police after he publicly announced his intentions on social media.

According to a French official's statement to Reuters, the suspect "was arrested after he publicly announced on social media that he planned to create an explosive belt to become a martyr." The arrest took place at the teenager's parents' home following the discovery of his posts on Telegram, which were reported to the authorities.

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During a search of the suspect's home, investigators reportedly found handwritten notes declaring his support for the Islamic State. The Paris Games are scheduled to begin with the opening ceremony on July 26, and French President Emmanuel Macron has indicated that he may scale down the size of the ceremony if there are any serious security risks, the Daily Wire reported.

The arrest comes amidst heightened concerns about antisemitism and terrorism in France. In a separate incident this week, a 32-year-old man was arrested for allegedly kidnapping and raping a Jewish French woman to "avenge Palestine," according to local media reports.

The suspect in the kidnapping case allegedly sent threatening text messages to the woman's mother, stating, "Good luck, you will never find your daughter again, you will never see her again, I will prostitute your daughter." He also reportedly expressed a desire to "avenge Palestine" in a text message.

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Police used forensic investigators to geolocate the approximate location of the woman's phone and then employed more advanced techniques to pinpoint her exact location. The suspect acknowledged the death threats but claimed they were merely "provocations." He was released from jail with his trial set to start in several weeks and was barred from having further contact with the woman.

France, which has the largest Muslim population in Europe, many of whom are migrants, has seen an increase in antisemitism over the past few months.

Last November, a Jewish woman in Lyon was stabbed, and a swastika was painted on her door. In December, several suspected extremists were arrested in Meurthe-et-Moselle for allegedly planning terrorist attacks on a Christmas market.