Police in France and Spain carried out anti-terror drills ahead of the Paris Olympics. The exercise started in Bayonne, France, where the practice scenario entangled assailants staging an episode before fleeing to San Sebastián, Spain, where they took hostages.
The national police of Spain and France performed a simulated terrorist attack exercise ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
The surprise exercise, named Operation Optimus, aimed to improve response capabilities.
It was supervised in Spain by the General Information Commissioner’s Office and concerned various units including Special Security Operations Groups (GOES), bomb disposal (TEDAX-NRBQ), and canine and forensic teams. Coordination points were specified in Paris, Bayonne, Madrid, and San Sebastián to ensure sufficient communication and operations between both national forces.
The French government has nearly 20,000 soldiers and more than 40,000 police officers to protect the games. It will also have backing from about 2,000 troops and police officers from other nations. The Summer Olympics will run from 26 July to 11 August, observed by the Paralympics.
France beefs up security efforts ahead of Paris Olympics opening ritual. The intended six-kilometre sailing route down the Senne has evolved into a major talking point for its unique open-air event structure and its exposure to potential danger. France is improving security measures in practice for the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics next month. Military helicopters will patrol the city and guard airspace on the day of the ambitious 26 July ceremony, which is demonstrating to be a serious security challenge.
About 200 Olympic delegations will join the regatta of more than 80 boats down the Senne. They will make the travel along a six-kilometre route, which has become a central talking point for its unique open-air structure and its exposure to potential threats. Paris police chief Laurent Nunez stated the route would be inside a high-security zone defined as an “anti-terrorism perimeter,” including the first row of facilities along the route.
Nunez stated anyone who wants to enter the zone on the days before the ceremony and on the day itself will be required to pre-register online and undergo a background check. Tourists will not be given free admission to watch the opening ceremony due to security problems, the French government selected. In April, security situations had previously led French President Emmanuel Macron to state the ceremony could locomote to the Stade de France if the threat level were too high. However, no options are being prepared at this stage.
There has been significant media attention on threats to the 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games as specified by French security services and law enforcement. In May 2024, for instance, an 18-year-old Chechen citizen who allegedly had been planning an Islamist-inspired invasion at the Olympics football tournament was stopped. In parallel, there has been an upsurge in Islamic State media offering different attack methods that might be employed at the Games. In June 2024, a social media post from the group included a mocked-up image of an unmanned aerial vehicle having a payload with “Gift” written on it, flying toward the Eiffel Tower as an example of what is achievable.
