Man arrested in France had plans to attack churches

A man arrested on Sunday in France, allegedly involved in the murder of a woman on the outskirts of Paris, apparently had "imminent" plans to carry out an attack on one or more churches, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve announced on Wednesday.

The suspect, a 24-year-old computer science student, was planning an "imminent attack against one or two churches", and the police learned he had plans to travel to Syria, the minister said in a brief public appearance, according to Efe news agency.

The police found an "arsenal" of "weapons of war" in his car and home, including guns and ammunition as well as a computer and telephone equipment.

The French-Algerian man's Islamic fundamentalist views were no secret, according to French media, as he had been under secret service surveillance twice, in 2014 and 2015, although no evidence was found to justify pressing charges.

The minister said that investigations would clarify the suspect's alleged involvement in the murder of 32-year-old Aurelie Chatelain, the mother of a five-year-old daughter who was found shot dead on Sunday in a burning car in Villejuif, just outside Paris.

BFM TV channel reported, citing investigation sources, the suspect was captured after he himself called emergency services because he had been shot in the leg.

When the police reached him, they found weapons in his car, precipitating a search of his home.

Security forces hypothesise, according to France Info station, that the detainee intended to steal the victim's car, but when the plan went awry, he killed her, was injured in the process, and was thus forced to call the police.