Poland charges teen with preparing attack on a school

Poland has charged an 18-year-old man with preparing an attack on a school and being motivated by his support for Islamic State, special services spokesperson Jacek Dobrzynski said on Wednesday, Report informs via Reuters.

Poland has not suffered any attacks related to Islamic State but Polish authorities are on the alert following a rise in sabotage attempts, including on the railway, since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

"The Prosecutor's Office charges the man with publicly inciting violence and hatred on the grounds of national and religious differences via the internet, as well as preparations for an attack at the turn of 2024/2025," Dobrzynski wrote on X.

He said an investigation found the man had been "collecting information on weapons, explosives, incendiary and toxic substances, bomb designs, methods of operation and equipping, as well as methods of creating, placing and detonating explosive charges, and techniques for carrying out attacks."

Dobrzynski said the man's notes showed he had been planning an attack on a school in the southeastern Podkarpackie region.