French Authorities Foiled Plotted Attacks on Paris Games

French authorities thwarted three schemes targeting the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris and other cities that played host to events, announced counterterrorism prosecutor Olivier Christen Wednesday. The plots included plans to strike "Israeli institutions or representatives of Israel in Paris" during the July 26 to August 11 Olympic event, though the Israeli team was not specifically targeted. Five individuals, among them a minor, were detained on terrorism-related charges and remain in pre-trial detention.

In the run-up to the Games, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin cautioned about potential threats from Islamic extremists, violent environmentalists, and far-right groups, and the possibility of cyberattacks. In May, an 18-year-old Chechen was arrested for allegedly planning an attack tied to Olympic soccer events in Saint-Etienne; "bar-type establishments around the Geoffroy stadium" were said to be the target. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)