Cologne and Bielefeld - "Maximum vigilance": security authorities on alert after attack warnings
Following indications of possible attack plans in Cologne and Bielefeld, the security forces remain on heightened alert ahead of New Year's Eve. In Cologne Cathedral, masses were only held under strict security precautions over Christmas following a threat warning. In this context, three suspects were arrested in Austria who are believed to belong to an Islamist terrorist network.
Following the "danger alert", the Cologne police searched the church with sniffer dogs on Saturday. No explosives were found. The Christmas masses took place in the following days under tightened security measures. Visitors had to undergo checks at the entrance. The church, which is normally visited by many tourists, was closed between masses.
A spokesperson for the Cologne police said on Tuesday that the same procedure was also followed on Boxing Day. It will be clarified on Wednesday whether this procedure will be maintained in the coming days.
Warnings of attacks in Germany, Austria and Spain
According to the Cologne police, the warning received related to New Year's Eve. However, the protective measures were brought forward to the Christmas period as a precaution.
The media reported possible Islamist attack plans. According to these reports, the trail leads to an offshoot of the Islamic State (IS). The Federal Public Prosecutor General's Office would not comment further on the events when asked on Tuesday.
According to media reports, the warnings also concerned Austria and Spain. According to the Austrian news agency APA, several arrests were made in Vienna during an operation against an Islamist network. Three suspects were subsequently remanded in custody on Monday.
According to APA, the two men and one woman were arrested by special police forces in a refugee shelter in Vienna. They are accused of belonging to a radical Islamic terror network that is said to have planned attacks on Cologne Cathedral and St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna. All three reportedly denied the allegations.
Austria's Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer thanked the emergency services for their increased deployment over the Christmas holidays. "To those who threaten us, let it be clear: we will not allow our joy and our Christian culture to be jeopardized," he explained.
Federal Ministry of the Interior speaks of increased threat situation
Following the events in Cologne, the Federal Ministry of the Interior in Berlin referred on Sunday to "an increased threat situation in the area of Islamist terrorism". This is being taken "very seriously", "especially since the terrorist attacks by Hamas on Israel, the Gaza war and its consequences", said a spokesperson. The federal and state security authorities were therefore acting "with the utmost vigilance".
This was also evident in Bielefeld on Monday. The main railway station there was closed for several hours after a telephone threat of attack and searched with sniffer dogs. This brought rail traffic to a standstill. However, no suspicious objects were found during the search.
The station was reopened in the evening. The Bielefeld police's state security department launched an investigation into "disturbing the public peace by threatening criminal acts".
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Source: www.stern.de
