FBI tip thwarts militants’ plans for Games attack

The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation gave Brazil the tip that led to arrests last week of 11 suspected militants who had discussed a possible attack on next month’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, according to a Brazilian prosecutor.

Rafael Brum Miron, the federal prosecutor handling the case in the southern state of Parana, said the FBI had provided a brief report in which it identified at least six people it suspected as potential militants.

‘‘They sent a succinct report: These people merit investigating.’’

A spokeswoman for the prosecutor’s office confirmed the comments and said the FBI provided the tip in May, after which Brazilian investigators tracked the suspects’ communications and identified the other people arrested last week.

The arrests, just two weeks before the first-ever Olympics in South America begin on August 5, come after a recent wave of violent attacks in Europe and the US and amid heightened fears that the Games could be a target.

Initially, police arrested 10 suspects and said that another two were being monitored. On Friday, one of the other two turned himself into police.

The suspects, described by Brazil’s justice minister as poorly organised and ‘‘absolutely amateur’’, were alleged sympathisers of the Islamic State militant group.

Although some of the suspects had pledged allegiance to Isis online, investigators said they have no formal ties or backing from the group itself.

Only two of the suspects actually knew one another, police said, but the group communicated extensively online and through messaging services.

In their messages, police said, the suspects applauded recent attacks outside Brazil and expressed desire – but little knowhow and no specific plans – to stage an attack during the Olympics.

Investigators said one of the suspects sought to buy an AK-47 rifle online from a vendor in neighbouring Paraguay.