Arrests have been made in Germany and Austria – several people are suspected of preparing terrorist attacks in churches during Christmas services.
They were preparing in Vienna, Cologne and Madrid, and an Islamist group is probably behind them, German publications write Bild And DPA. The group that planned the attacks may be associated with the terrorist organization Islamic State of Khorasan, which emerged in 2014 and is close to the Taliban, media reports.
Both Germany and Austria have not publicly commented on the situation, but Vienna police on Saturday 23 December warned of an “increased risk” due to the level of terrorist threats during the Christmas holidays. The message says:
“With terrorists across Europe calling for attacks on Christian events in this context – especially on December 24 – the security authorities have strengthened appropriate protective measures in public places in Vienna and the federal states.”
Security measures have been strengthened at Cologne Cathedral and police have stepped up patrols. A bomb disposal dog was brought in to search for explosives. Starting on Christmas Eve, all visitors are checked before entering the church.
German Interior Minister Nancy Feser said she fears a repeat of New Year’s riots and attacks on emergency services in Berlin and other cities. The German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, which plays the role of an intelligence agency, pointed to a significant increase in the level of threat of Islamist terrorist attacks in the country against the backdrop of the war between Israel and the Hamas group in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, police in the northern Slovakian city of Zilina on Saturday arrested a 64-year-old man who alerted emergency services that he wanted to repeat fatal shootingas at Charles University in Prague, reports “European truth”. Press secretary of the Žilina Regional Police Zuzana Šefcikova said:
“After receiving the report, we immediately began an investigation, which resulted in the arrest of the suspect.”
An investigator from the Zhilinsky district police department opened a criminal case for disseminating a false report.
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