Police - Checks at Cologne Cathedral on Christmas Eve without incident
Following indications of possible plans to attack Cologne Cathedral, there were no incidents during the checks of visitors to the midnight mass on Christmas Eve. A police spokeswoman said on Monday morning that the extensive checks of people in the cathedral had been inconspicuous. The area around the cathedral, where the police had increased their presence, had also remained calm.
Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki of Cologne thanked those attending the service right at the beginning for "not allowing themselves to be frightened and scared despite the situation, but for coming here courageously". He expressed his special thanks to the police forces "who have turned the cathedral upside down, so to speak, so that we can celebrate the service and Christmas here tonight in complete safety". Woelki also thanked the cathedral saints and the employees of the security services.
According to dpa, the security authorities had received information about a possible plan by an Islamist group to attack the cathedral and a church in Vienna. According to the Cologne police, the information related to New Year's Eve. In view of the festive season, North Rhine-Westphalia's Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) had encouraged people not to be deterred from attending church because the protection provided by the authorities was working.
The police had also taken additional security precautions in Vienna. The Christmas masses there on Christmas Eve went off without incident. In Austria, four people were arrested during investigations into an Islamist network. According to the public prosecutor's office, three were investigated for membership of a terrorist organization in connection with terrorist crimes. A fourth man was also arrested during the police operation. He was wanted for other offenses. According to the public prosecutor's office, it was still being investigated whether he had anything to do with the planned crimes.
Christmas mass in Cologne Cathedral
Read also:
- A clan member is punished here
- Traffic lawyer warns: Don't talk to the police!
- Will he be convicted as Jutta's murderer after 37 years?
- He also wanted to kill his cousin
- Despite the threat of terrorism, the saint's eve celebration at Cologne Cathedral continued peacefully, with the police conducting thorough checks to ensure everyone's safety.
- Rainer Maria Woelki, the cardinal of Cologne, praised the courage of the attendees and thanked the police for their diligent work in implementing the attack plan's countermeasures.
- The attack plan, allegedly initiated by an Islamist group, aimed to target Cologne Cathedral and a church in Vienna, causing concern during the holiday season in North Rhine-Westphalia and Austria.
- The police in Vienna, aware of the potential threat, enhanced their presence and security measures during the Christmas Eve services, ensuring that the celebrations proceeded without any incidents.
- Four individuals were arrested in Austria as part of an investigation into an Islamist network, with three of them suspected of membership in a terrorist organization linked to planned terrorist crimes.
- The police operation also led to the apprehension of a fourth man, wanted for unrelated criminal activities, as investigations continued to determine his connection to the planned attacks.
- As the holy nights passed, the police remained vigilant in their efforts to combat terrorism, maintaining a strong presence across Cologne, Vienna, and other German cities to safeguard the festive spirit and protect their citizens.
Source: www.stern.de
