Status: 26.12.2023, 19:23 PM
CommentsPrint Share
Police officers secure an entrance to Cologne Cathedral. © Roberto Pfeil/dpa
Sniffer dogs searched Cologne Cathedral, police arrested several people in Vienna: Shortly before Christmas, there were indications of possible attack plans by an Islamist group. The mood remains tense.
Cologne/Vienna - After the terror alert for Cologne Cathedral and a church in Vienna, there is increased caution with regard to New Year's Eve. "At the moment, there is an increased threat situation in the area of Islamist terrorism. The security authorities of the federal and state governments are therefore acting with the utmost vigilance," said a spokesman for the Federal Ministry of the Interior in Berlin.
In connection with the terror alert for Cologne Cathedral, the police took a suspect into custody in Wesel. The police searched an apartment with special units in the city on the Lower Rhine on Christmas Eve and took five men into custody. While four of them were released, the forces took a 30-year-old Tajik "into custody to avert danger," the police said on Tuesday evening. There were findings relevant to state security on him.
On Christmas Day, at the request of the Cologne police, the Oberhausen District Court confirmed the order of detention until 7 January. Detective Chief Michael Esser said: "We are exhausting all legal options to protect the people, the cathedral and the upcoming New Year's Eve celebrations." The police will not provide any information on the background of the detention until further notice due to ongoing investigations.
In Cologne, the cathedral will remain closed to tourists until further notice. "All liturgical offers are taking place, tourist visits are unfortunately not possible," said the cathedral's head of security, Oliver Gassen, on Tuesday to the German Press Agency. "The cathedral will be closed between services." Normally, the cathedral is visited by more than 100,000 people from Christmas to New Year.
According to dpa information, the security authorities had received indications of a possible attack plan by an Islamist group on Cologne Cathedral and a church in Vienna. According to the Cologne police, the clues related to New Year's Eve, but security precautions have already been increased for the Christmas festivities.
Police officers have been checking visitors to the cathedral since Christmas Eve. On Saturday evening, the police had already searched the cathedral with sniffer dogs, but according to their own statements, they did not find anything conspicuous. Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki of Cologne thanked the worshippers for "not letting themselves be frightened and frightened" despite the situation, but for coming here courageously.
In Vienna, too, the police increased security measures. In Austria, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution arrested four people on Saturday. Among other things, data carriers, such as mobile phones, that had been seized during the searches have been evaluated since then, said prosecutor Nina Bussek of the dpa on Tuesday. Two men and one woman were ordered to be remanded in custody, a court spokeswoman told the APA news agency. They are being investigated for membership of a terrorist organisation in connection with terrorist offences.
A fourth person is not being investigated on suspicion of terrorism, Bussek said. The person happened to be present when the three suspects were arrested. She was wanted for violating immigration law and was therefore arrested.
My news
Flood danger in North Rhine-Westphalia – Minister warns: "This is unpredictable"read
Luise (12) killed: Freudenberg shocked by wave of hatred – families of the perpetrators leave their place of residenceRead
Continuous rain and flooding – NRW in a state of emergencyread
Unpunished after Luise's death: What is happening to the perpetrators now – first details revealed
Woman killed and put in barrel: suspect arrestedread
Wolf "Gloria" may not be shot down for the time beingread
According to dpa information, the suspicious group could possibly have a connection to an offshoot of the terrorist network Islamic State (IS), which calls itself the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISPK) and has been fighting an armed conflict with the militant Islamist Taliban in Afghanistan for several years. A spokeswoman for the Vienna public prosecutor's office did not want to comment.
In April, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution emphasized that although the terrorist militia Islamic State (IS) in Syria and Iraq is considered largely defeated, the entire organization is far from being smashed. The head of the authority, Thomas Haldenwang, said at the time: "Among the various offshoots of IS, the Islamic State Khorasan Province, or ISPK for short, stands out in particular."
Since the terrorist attack on Israel by the Islamist Hamas on 7 October, fears have been growing that there could also be attacks in Germany. In Austria, the terror alert level is still elevated, according to the local police. The additional precautionary measures were intended to maintain general safety in Austria. Dpa