After the terror alert - Police maintain protection for Cologne Cathedral for the time being
Even after a New Year without incident, Cologne Cathedral, which is heavily guarded due to a terror alert, will be protected by police officers until further notice. "There will continue to be security checks at the cathedral," said a police spokesperson on Monday. "How long this measure will be maintained is currently under review." Police officers will therefore continue to be seen at the cathedral for the time being.
Shortly before Christmas, the police had received information about a possible Islamist plan to attack Cologne Cathedral on New Year's Eve. As a result, security measures were massively increased.
On Christmas Eve, a 30-year-old Tajik was initially taken into custody "to avert danger". On New Year's Eve, the police then announced that they had arrested three more suspects. The arrests were made in Duisburg, Herne and Nörvenich in the district of Düren. It turned out that the Tajik was part of a larger network that also extended to other German states and other European countries.
However, New Year's Eve at Cologne Cathedral remained without any major incidents. The Cardinal of Cologne, Rainer Maria Woelki, celebrated an end-of-year mass with the faithful under heavy police protection.
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The terror alert, triggered by an alleged Islamist plot against Cologne Cathedral, led to heightened criminality investigations in various German cities and European nations. Despite the arrest of several suspects, including a Tajik individual in Duisburg, Herne, and Nörvenich, law enforcement continues to maintain a robust presence around the cathedral due to the ongoing threat. Fortunately, the turn of the year in Cologne passed without any major terrorism-related incidents at the iconic Cologne Cathedral, surrounded by police protection.
Source: www.stern.de
