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China foils 'terrorist' plot to kidnap Olympic athletes
Chinese authorities have detained 45 'terrorist' suspects and foiled plots to kidnap athletes to disrupt the Olympics.
- Agencies
- Published: 15:00 April 10, 2008
- Image Credit: Reuters
- Paramilitary police for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games take part in a training session in Beijing on Tuesday.
Beijing: Chinese authorities have detained 45 “terrorist'' suspects and foiled plots to kidnap athletes and carry out suicide attacks to disrupt the Olympics, police said on Thursday.
Some of the terror suspects belonged to the Al Qaida-linked East Turkestan Islamic Movement, said Ministry of Public Security spokesman Wu Heping.
Their aim was "to create an international incident with the goal of disrupting the Olympic Games", Wu said.
The first group of suspects bought explosive materials and carried out 13 test explosions, Wu said. Police detained 10 suspects who confessed to plotting suicide attacks.
In another incident, authorities detained 35 people and seized 9.51 kilograms of explosives, eight detonators and some "Holy War" propaganda material, Wu said.
The group also planned to kidnap foreign journalists, tourists and athletes and carry out suicide bomb attacks in China, Wu said.
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