France arrests serviceman over planning attack on Lyon mosque

A French serviceman has been arrested on charges of planning an attack on a mosque in the southeastern city of Lyon, a local newspaper reported Sunday.

The 23-year-old soldier, who was arrested on the airbase Lyon Mont Verdu, attacked a mosque with a Molotov cocktail in the Bordeaux region last year, said the daily Le Parisien, citing a statement of the Interior Ministry.

No casualties were reported in the attack.

The soldier has been held in custody since Wednesday and charged with possession of ammunition and plans to damage a place of worship.

He told investigators that he planned to fire shots at the Minguettes mosque at Venissieux, a Lyon suburb, on Thursday at the end of Ramadan, the fasting month in the Muslim calendar.

He was reported to police by his relatives after they found suspicious documents in his possession.

France is determined to fight against all forms of violence inspired by the most extremist ideologies that affect the values of the Republic and whose sole objective is to create tension in the society and propagate a climate of hate, the Ministry said.

"No violence will be tolerated," it added.

In a move to crack down on fascist cells "that are against the values of the Republic," the French authority shut down five far-right groups last month.

The government said the dissolved groups were closely linked to the Revolutionary Nationalist Youth (JNR) that propagated hatred and violence.

The ban was announced after a young anti-fascist activist, Clement Meric, was killed in June during a fight with JNR supporters.