European authorities broke up an alleged plot to attack cultural targets during the Christmas season in Germany and Austria last week. The disruption of the potential attack came after a string of Islamist attacks in Europe, including the murder of a French teacher.
Law enforcement allegedly broke up the potential attack by terrorists from Tajikistan in Central Asia. The attackers were allegedly tied to a group tied to the Islamic State (ISIS).
Among the targets selected by the terrorist cell, the jihadists planned to attack the Cologne Cathedral during the Christmas season. The 13th-century structure is a popular tourist destination. The cathedral was searched for explosives, which were not found.
The Cologne Police said that the agency would “not comment on details of the available findings due to ongoing investigations by the police state security service.”
The city’s police chief said that visitors would be checked with explosives-sniffing dogs before entering the structure.
German police are increasing security at Cologne Cathedral after learning that extremist Muslims may be planning Islamic terror attacks around Christmas & New Years. Yesterday, Austrian authorities arrested four believed to be linked to a jihadist cell. https://t.co/sEDI2GlJ1K
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) December 24, 2023
He further cited a potential threat against the building on New Year’s Eve.
The caution follows a series of intimate assaults on women during the New Year’s Eve celebrations in 2015 outside the same cathedral. The incident reportedly affected more than 1,000 women.
Law enforcement further accused the jihadists of planning similar attacks in Madrid, Spain and Vienna, Austria. Several suspects were arrested in each society.
The Vienna Police Department said that “due to a current threat assessment,” there is “generally an increased risk in Austria during the Christmas holidays.”
The broken-up terror threat was not the only one in Europe since the war between Israel and Hamas began on Oct. 7. This included a knife attack near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. In addition, a teacher was murdered and another person was injured in an attack in France.
In October, an illegal alien from Tunisia opened fire in Brussels, Belgium, killing two people and injuring one. The attacker was later shot and killed by Belgian police.
