Plans to attack Cologne Cathedral: "Go to church, celebrate Christmas"

What danger signs were there in Cologne?
Did the police find explosives?
Who made the threat?
Were there any arrests?
Should you visit Cologne Cathedral?
How should churchgoers behave?
Is there an increased risk situation for the whole of Germany?

What was the danger warning in Cologne?

Questions and answers - Plans to attack Cologne Cathedral: "Go to church, celebrate Christmas"

The police in Cologne have taken special protective measures for Cologne Cathedral on the basis of a threat report. The Cologne Police Headquarters announced on Saturday evening that it would not be commenting on the details of the available information due to ongoing investigations by the State Security Police. A church in Vienna was also a possible target, it said on Saturday.

Police spokesman Wolfgang Baldes said that the police would not publish any details about the threat tip-off. However, it had been taken seriously. Such tips are always received and are "conscientiously evaluated", he continued. The current tip-off related to New Year's Eve, but the security measures were brought forward to the Christmas period. Everything is now being done to investigate the tip-off further, and the State Security Service is also involved.

Did the police find explosives?

According to information from security circles, no explosives were discovered during the search of Cologne Cathedral. The explosives sniffer dogs found nothing on Saturday evening, the German Press Agency was told on Sunday morning.

Who made the threat?

There is talk of possible plans for an attack by an Islamist group. According to dpa information, there could possibly be a connection to an offshoot of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist network, which calls itself the Islamic State Province of Khorasan (ISPK) and has been fighting an armed conflict with the militant Islamist Taliban in Afghanistan for several years.

Have any arrests been made?

According to the Austrian Ministry of the Interior, the Austrian Office for the Protection of the Constitution has arrested four people during investigations into an Islamist network. The Directorate for State Security and Intelligence at the Austrian Ministry of the Interior announced on Sunday that the suspects are currently being questioned and the relevant evaluations are underway. Further details could not be given at present for reasons of criminal tactics.

The newspaper "Bild" had previously reported on arrests in Austria. An initial arrest had also been made in Germany. There was initially no confirmation of this on Sunday. According to dpa information, security authorities had received indications of a possible attack plan by an Islamist group on Cologne Cathedral and a church.

Should you visit Cologne Cathedral?

In view of the precautionary measures taken by the police, North Rhine-Westphalia's Interior Minister Herbert Reul has appealed to people not to refrain from visiting a church at Christmas for fear of an attack. "Caution is the order of the day. We know that the threat of terrorism is higher than it has been for a long time and our Christian holiday rituals are of course also a target for Islamist terrorists," the CDU politician told the German Press Agency in Düsseldorf.

"But we are not defenceless. Our authorities are using all the information they have to protect us in the best possible way. The measures in Cologne now show that," emphasized Reul, adding: "My appeal: go to church, celebrate Christmas. Fear is the currency of terrorists. We must not add to their value."

At the early mass in Cologne Cathedral, all churchgoers were searched by the police

How should churchgoers behave?

Visitors to Cologne Cathedral must be prepared for extensive security measures. The police will be present and there will be a lot of riot police on site, police spokesman Baldes told the broadcasters NTV and Welt TV on Sunday morning. The police will ensure that "all people are checked".

The police called on people to arrive early and not to bring any bags into the cathedral so that the checks would not take unnecessarily long. There are many officers on site who "would actually have had Christmas Eve off", said Baldes "But this is about the safety of the people of Cologne." It will therefore be a "very busy time" for the police.

Is there an increased risk situation for the whole of Germany?

A spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of the Interior said that there is currently an increased threat situation in the area of Islamist terrorism. "The federal and state security authorities are therefore acting with the utmost vigilance and are taking the threat of Islamist terrorism very seriously," he emphasized. The security authorities are using all constitutional, police and intelligence resources "to identify and prevent possible attack plans".