Cologne Cathedral in Germany was searched by sniffer dogs on Saturday evening following a potential threat alert for Christmas Eve, German police have stated.
The German news agency DPA revealed that German security officials received information suggesting an Islamist group planned to carry out an attack on the Cathedral, with a church in Vienna, Austria, also singled out as a potential target.
Cologne’s Police Chief Michael Esser gave assurances that immediate safety measures were being taken with efforts focussed towards ensuring the safety of all Cathedral visitors on Christmas Eve. Following the evening mass, a search of the Cathedral was carried out with sniffer dogs, in conjunction with the Cathedral’s security.
In response to the situation, heightened security measures will be enforced for anyone visiting the Cologne Cathedral in the forthcoming days, whether for tourism or worship. On Sunday, all visitors will undergo checks before entering; they are advised not to bring bags and arrive early for masses.
BREAKING: German authorities have received an alert that a group may have been planning an attack on the Cologne Cathedral. https://t.co/A5xCjtrvcY
— DW News (@dwnews) December 23, 2023
German daily newspaper Bild reported that security services in Austria, Germany, and Spain received information that an Islamist group may be planning several attacks in Europe, potentially over Christmas and New Year’s Eve. According to the newspaper, the potential targets are Christmas masses in Cologne, Vienna, and Madrid.
Earlier in the evening, police in Cologne and Vienna announced that they were stepping up security measures. A strong police presence around the Cologne Cathedral was observed. In Austria, police said on Saturday that they were ramping up surveillance, particularly around churches, religious events, and Christmas markets in Vienna. "Terrorist actors in Europe are calling for attacks on Christian events, especially around December 24," they stated in an announcement.
