Christmas masses in Cologne Cathedral continue under increased security precautions
The Cologne police searched the cathedral with sniffer dogs on Saturday evening following a "danger alert". However, no explosives were found. The media reported possible Islamist plans for an attack. According to these reports, the trail leads to an offshoot of the Islamic State (IS).
According to reports, the warnings also affected Austria and Spain. According to the Austrian news agency APA, four arrests were made in Vienna during an operation against an Islamist network. It remains to be seen whether they will be taken into custody.
According to the Cologne police, the threat warning related to New Year's Eve, but the security measures were brought forward to the Christmas period. Churchgoers were searched by officers at the entrance to the cathedral on Sunday. The police called on people to arrive early and, if possible, not to bring any bags so that the checks could be carried out quickly.
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Source: www.stern.de
