Boy, 16, who said he wanted to 'die a martyr' at the Paris Olympics arrested in France
24 April 2024, 19:43 | Updated: 24 April 2024, 19:52
A teenager has been arrested by French anti-terrorism authorities after saying on social media that he wanted to "die a martyr" at the Paris Olympic games.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
A spokesperson for anti-terrorism authorities said on Wednesday that the 16-year-old was arrested after he "publicly announced on social media that he planned to create an explosive belt to become a martyr".
She added that an investigation was underway into whether he had genuine intentions to commit a terrorist act.
Read more: British army helicopters fly to Finland in 'largest Nato exercise since Cold War'
The games will begin in July.
France previously raised its security alert to its highest level ahead of hosting this summer's games over fears the event could be overshadowed by security incidents.
Skies over the Paris region will be closed for six hours as part of the massive security operation for the opening ceremony on the 26th, the Paris airports operator said on Wednesday.
Augustin de Romanet, chairman of Aeroports de Paris, said airlines are being warned in advance about the closure and told they will have to fly around the restricted airspace.
"For six hours, there won't be any aircraft over the Paris region," he said on France Info radio.
The no-fly zone will extend for a radius of 93 miles around Paris, the civil aviation authority and interior minister Gerald Darmanin have said.
The unprecedented waterborne ceremony on the River Seine running through the French capital is the stiffest single security challenge for Paris Games organisers, with crowds of more than 320,000 people expected.
