Dec 24, 2023 at 1:07 PM Update: 3 minutes ago
Austrian intelligence has arrested four people during an investigation into an Islamist terror cell. The arrests follow indications of an attack on, among others, a church in Vienna and the Cathedral in Cologne, where security has been significantly increased.
The German newspaper Bild wrote on Saturday that security services in Austria, Germany and Spain had indications that an Islamist group was planning attacks during the holidays. Terrorists are said to be targeting Christian church services in several European cities.
The newspaper reported that one arrest had been made in Germany. Several people were arrested in the Austrian capital Vienna. It was not clear at the time how many people were involved in total.
The Austrian Ministry of the Interior confirmed the four arrests on Sunday. It also reported that the security situation in Austria and in Europe is particularly tense due to the terrorist threat.
St. Stephen’s Cathedral in the capital Vienna would be a possible target. Images show that many security services were present there on Sunday. This includes heavily armed officers.
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Sniffer dogs found no explosives at Dom in Cologne
Security has also been increased at the Cathedral in the German city of Cologne, it became apparent on Saturday. The building was also searched by the police with sniffer dogs. No explosives were found.
All visitors attending the evening mass in the Cologne Cathedral on Christmas Eve will be extra checked. That is why the police advise visitors to arrive on time.
In addition to Germany and Austria, France has also increased security at churches before the Christmas period in connection with possible attacks. Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin reports on social media that the police and gendarmes (marechaussees) are visibly present at places of worship on Sunday evening and Monday morning.
In the Netherlands, the threat level for a possible attack was raised earlier this month. The Protestant Church of the Netherlands (PKN) reported at the beginning of this week that there is no concrete threat to churches, but did call on church congregations to take measures to increase security, especially during the busy church services around Christmas.
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Arrests in Germany and Austria for fear of attacks on public holidays
Image: AFP
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2023-12-24 12:07:38
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