Police search Cologne Cathedral with sniffer dogs due to "danger tip-off"
Thepolice and the cathedral chapter recommended that people do without bags on Christmas Eve and arrive early for mass. "Even if the advice relates to New Year's Eve, we will already be doing everything we can to ensure the safety of cathedral visitors on Christmas Eve this evening," explained Esser.
The Cologne police did not comment on the background to the incident. The "Bild" newspaper reported that there had already been one arrest in Germany and others in Vienna on Saturday following threats of attacks by an Islamist terrorist cell on Christmas and New Year's Eve in Europe.
The Vienna police explained on Saturday evening that due to a "current threat assessment" by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution and the still elevated terror alert level, there is "generally an increased risk in Austria" during the Christmas holidays. The authorities have increased the corresponding protective measures. "Police attention is primarily focused on churches and religious events, especially church services, and Christmas markets," explained the police.
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The police search was conducted on Sunday, aiming to locate any potential threats within Cologne Cathedral. despite the "hazard warning", many people still visited the cathedral on Saint's Eve, leading to an increased presence of tracking dogs. Despite the increased security measures, Michael Esser, the cathedral chapter's spokesperson, urged visitors to arrive early and leave their bags at home for safety reasons. The police's actions were a response to a "danger tip-off," and following the incident, there were reports of arrests in Germany and Vienna related to threats against Christmas and New Year's Eve events in Europe. Due to the elevated terror alert, there were increased protective measures in Austria during the holiday season, with a focus on churches and religious events like mass.
Source: www.stern.de
