The newspaper writes that authorities in Austria, Germany and Spain have received indications that an extremist Islamist group plans to carry out several attacks in Europe during Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
Furthermore, it is written that possible targets for the attacks could be Christmas fairs in Cologne, Vienna and Madrid.
According to the newspaper’s information, several people have been arrested in Austria and Germany.
Great police effort
In Cologne, Germany, the police carried out a major operation at the world-famous Cologne Cathedral on Saturday evening. This after a specific threat of terror on New Year’s Eve.
The cathedral was searched with bomb dogs for explosives for several hours. Police say all visitors will be searched before entering the cathedral.
The threat applies specifically to New Year’s Eve, but the police still want to guarantee the safety of visitors before Christmas Eve.
“Although the warning refers to New Year’s Eve, we will take everything into account this evening to ensure the safety of cathedral visitors on Christmas Eve,” the German police told the newspaper.
Church in Vienna
A church in Vienna is also said to be among the possible targets, while the police in Austria also went out and warned of an increased terrorist threat during the Christmas and New Year holidays.
“Due to a current threat assessment from our authorities, and the continued increased level of terror preparedness, there is generally an increased risk in Austria during the Christmas holidays. Particularly dangerous places or objects are monitored and guarded more and more,” writes the police.
“Considered to be the most dangerous terrorist group”
In the Ottakring district of Vienna, several suspects have been arrested.
According to information to Bild, the terrorist suspects are Tajiks who allegedly wanted to carry out the attack on behalf of the Islamic State in Khorasan province. The terrorist group, which is also called IS-K or ISKP, is usually described as the Afghan branch of the terrorist movement IS.
The SPK is currently considered by intelligence services to be the most dangerous terrorist organization that specifically sends terrorists to Europe, the newspaper writes.
Members of the group have previously planned a major terrorist attack and scouted possible targets in the country. According to the police, the members were smuggled from Ukraine to Germany via Poland, disguised as war refugees with false documents.
The terrorist threat level in Sweden
On August 17 this year, Säpo decided to raise the terror threat level from three (increased threat) to four (high threat) on the five-point scale.
According to Säpo, the decision was not based on a single incident. However, during the year there has been a gradual deterioration of the threat picture against Sweden, where Sweden has gone from being regarded as a “legitimate” to a “priority” target.
Even in Denmark, the terror threat level is a four on a five-point scale