A 16-year-old teenager has been arrested in Paris, accused of planning a terrorist attack at the upcoming 2024 Olympic Games, France Info TV channel reports. The French National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office (Pnat) opened a criminal case against the young man on charges of "participation in a terrorist criminal organization with the aim of preparing crimes causing bodily harm."

The teenager, already known to the authorities because of his radical views, was detained at his parents' home in Haute-Savoie. He made threats on the Telegram social network, declaring his intention to make an explosive belt to carry out an attack and "die a martyr's death." During a search in his house, investigators found a document confirming his membership in the terrorist organization "Islamic State" (banned in Russia - approx. Avia.pro).

Interrogations revealed that the young man was planning a deadly attack in the La Défense shopping and business district during the Olympic Games, either using a firearm or using a suicide belt. France's General Directorate of Internal Security (DGSI) is currently trying to establish how serious the teenager's intentions were and whether he really planned to turn words into action, or whether his threats on social networks were nothing more than an attempt to attract attention.