Egyptian man arrested in connection to foiled Islamic State terrorist attack on Notre Dame: Reports

An Egyptian man associated with the Islamic State was reportedly arrested in France while allegedly plotting an attack on the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.

Agents with France's General Directorate of Internal Security arrested the suspect, a man in his early 60s, on March 5, per French media reports.

He was indicted on the charge of "criminal terrorist association" and put in pre-trial detention on March 8, French outlet Le Journal du Dimanche reported Saturday.

The suspect allegedly planned violent acts against Christian buildings and was seen visiting Catholic community locations multiple times, Le Parisien reported last week.

"We have never foiled so many attacks in France," French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told broadcaster France 2 last week, according to the Daily Mail. 

While Darmanin did not directly address the arrest of the Egyptian man, he said: "The Islamic State is the author of the last eight foiled attacks in France. We foil a lot of attacks, one every two months."

The alleged failed plot comes just ahead of the five-year anniversary of a fire that gutted the historic landmark in April 2019. The cathedral is set to reopen on Dec. 8, 2024. 

Meanwhile, after the Islamic State claimed responsibility for last week's concert attack in a Moscow suburb concert that killed more than 140 people, France raised its national security alert to the highest possible level of emergency. Tensions are also heightened as Paris plans on hosting the Summer Olympics later this year.

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