German and Austrian police have taken heightened security measures around key religious sites, including Cologne Cathedral, in response to credible threats of Islamist terror attacks planned for the Christmas period, as reported by BILD. The German Federal Intelligence Service uncovered the plot, which was foiled leading to several arrests in Vienna and Germany. The suspects, some of whom are reported to be Tajiks, are believed to be affiliated with ISIS, with St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna and other churches identified as potential targets for attacks on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The threats also targeted cultural sites in Madrid, prompting the deployment of armed police and sniffer dogs to secure the areas ahead of Christmas church services. Security measures include special protective measures at Cologne Cathedral and mandatory security screening for Christmas Eve worshippers. The plot's revelation comes against the backdrop of previous incidents, such as the sexual assaults on New Year’s Eve 2015 in front of Cologne Cathedral and recent controversies involving the Grey Wolves and the removal of an Armenian Genocide memorial.
In Cologne the German & Austrian intelligence agencies have uncovered planned terrorist attacks on Cathedrals & markets. Another target is St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna as several ISIS affiliated Tajiks were arrested with another in Saarland. https://t.co/dMcL9pfM7d https://t.co/yWn1XqgmbX
Christmas Eve worshippers to face security screening at Cologne cathedral as police cite attack risk https://t.co/3NV9mQYapD
Cologne police acting on indications of a possible attack searched Germany’s landmark cathedral with sniffer dogs, and said worshippers attending Christmas Eve Mass would undergo security screening before being allowed in. In Austria, police in Vienna also said they were taking… https://t.co/uMVmfVQr7B
Live update: Police in Cologne, Vienna up security around churches amid reports of Islamist threat https://t.co/9Nxv3UhBz7 . Click to read ⬇️
German police search Cologne Cathedral after security threat https://t.co/QbCXnL2nRs
VIENNA, MADRID Police have revealed that Muslim terrorists were planning to attack Catholics at churches in Austria and Spain's capital cities https://t.co/NY2FjPEZ5R
German police warn of possible attack at Cologne Cathedral (DW) German authorities said that have received an alert that a group may have been planning an attack on the Cologne Cathedral, the DPA news agency reported Saturday. Authorities have not elaborated on the alert they… https://t.co/ZBSczRQ3wy
Austrian, German, and Spanish police were on high alert at cathedrals in several cities due to concerns that #ISIS-affiliated terrorists were planning an attack on #Christmas or New Year's Eve, with suspects already arrested in Vienna and #Germany. https://t.co/05ZdkTi6Ur
Security hiked at Cologne cathedral for Christmas amid attack threat https://t.co/t3pQsPZaIy https://t.co/9lu17nALAF
Armed police guard cathedrals in Cologne and Vienna and sniffer dogs have been deployed to root out explosives ahead of Christmas church services. https://t.co/tFpLbHnKRb
Christmas In the New Europe: Jihad Massacre Foiled at Germany’s Cologne Cathedral https://t.co/zHbgkgXTyc
BREAKING: Police arrest members of Islamist terror cell that was about to strike targets in Cologne, Vienna, and Madrid. Christmas masses in churches are to have been prioritized targets for the terrorists. Merry Christmas Europe… https://t.co/oeyEy5PXRG
COLOGNE German police have revealed that Islamic terrorists were planning to carry out a terrorist attack on Catholics at Cologne Cathedral this week It comes as city officials this week bowed to pressure from the Grey Wolves to remove an Armenian Genocide memorial https://t.co/312SZVC4xZ
Islamists planned to carry out several terror attacks on Christians in Europe on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day in Austria, Germany and Spain. Arrests were made today in Vienna and Germany. In Vienna, St. Stephen’s Cathedral is said to be particularly at risk. The Vienna… https://t.co/JlSzNJLLnd
Several Arrests of Islamist Terrorists have been made in Austria and Germany today over a Plot which was Uncovered by the German Federal Intelligence Service to launch an Attack on multiple Cultural Sites including Cologne Cathedral. https://t.co/ThlkPSvqKx
BREAKING: Several suspected Islamist terrorists have been arrested after their plans to attack the Cologne Cathedral were uncovered. It’s was in front of the same cathedral that hundreds of German women were sexually assaulted by migrants on New Year’s Eve 2015. https://t.co/cgjJt8SLvq
JUST IN - Islamists planned attack on Cologne Cathedral, several arrests in Vienna and Germany — BILD https://t.co/q91FqJFsKu
JUST IN - Police take "special protective measures" from this evening due to increased danger to Cologne Cathedral, Germany. There are ongoing investigations by the police state security agency, per a police press statement. https://t.co/VnlOXLPYbw