Law enforcement officials in France arrested a teenager this week who was allegedly planning on carrying out an attack at the Olympic Games in Paris this summer.
Sky News reported that French “anti-terrorism police” arrested a 16-year-old boy after he allegedly said that he planned on committing a suicide attack at the Paris Games.
“He was arrested after he publicly announced on social media that he planned to create an explosive belt to become a martyr,” a French official said in a statement to Reuters.
The teenager was arrested at his parent’s home after his posts were discovered on Telegram and reported to the authorities. When investigators searched the home, they reportedly found handwritten notes that declared his support for the Islamic State.
The Paris Games are set to commence with the opening ceremony on July 26. French President Emmanuel Macron has indicated that he could scale down the size of the ceremony if there are any serious security risks.
The news comes after a man in France was arrested this week for allegedly kidnapping and raping a Jewish French woman to “avenge Palestine,” according to local media.
The man, who was not identified, was arrested on Tuesday. It’s not clear when the alleged crimes happened but the two reportedly met last year on an online dating app.
The French publication Le Parisien said that police arrested the 32-year-old suspect on charges of religiously-motivated death threats and use of narcotics, according to The Jerusalem Post.
Reports said that prosecutors believe that a kidnapping charge is likely forthcoming and that they are still investigating the rape allegations.
The suspect allegedly texted the woman’s mother: “Good luck, you will never find your daughter again, you will never see her again, I will prostitute your daughter.”
He allegedly said in a text message that he wanted to “avenge Palestine,” Le Parisien reported.
Police used forensic investigators to geolocate the approximate location of the woman’s phone and then used more advanced techniques to find the exact location.
The suspect reportedly acknowledged the death threats but claimed that they were just “provocations,” according to French outlet BFMTV. He was released from jail with his trial set to start in several weeks. He was barred from having further contact with the woman, The Daily Mail reported.
France has seen an increase in anti-Semitism in the months following Hamas’ October 7 terrorist attack against Israel. It has the largest Islamic population in Europe, many of whom are migrants.
In November, a Jewish woman was rushed to the hospital in the French city of Lyon after a man came to her home, stabbed her, and painted a swastika on her door.
In December, several Muslims were arrested in Meurthe-et-Moselle for allegedly planning terrorist attacks on a Christmas market.
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