Europe is on a state of high alert after Friday’s Islamist attack in Moscow that left 137 concertgoers dead. France has raised its security alert to the highest level, and more soldiers will be deployed to patrol the streets and stand guard outside ‘sensitive sites’ including churches, synagogues and schools.
President Emmanuel Macron said in a statement on Sunday that the group that carried out the Moscow attack, Islamic State – Khorasan Province (IS-K), an Afghan affiliate of the Islamic State, had attempted to commit ‘several’ atrocities on French soil in recent months, including an attack in the city of Strasbourg.
Will border controls be tightened? It would be futile. The Islamist threat is already here
Denmark has also stepped up security, as has Italy. At a national security council meeting in Rome on Monday it was agreed to increase the police presence around sites of worship ahead of the Easter weekend.
Like France, Germany has reportedly been the target of previous terrorist plots by IS-K, including an attack against Cologne Cathedral over Christmas.
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