German police thwarted a suspected IS terror conspiracy by raiding a series of addresses ahead of England’s Euro 2024 final game against Spain. Officers carried action after fears were raised of an outbreak on the Breitscheidplatz town square where thousands of Three Lions fans were gathered. All the while, fans were oblivious to any potential hazard and went on to relish the build-up to the game, which England ultimately lost 2-1.
Three suspects were imprisoned by German special forces who had intruded on addresses in nearby Potsdam. The Sun reported that police explored three addresses while looking for five men, who were all understood to be IS supporters and found images on phones of Breitscheidplatz. The town square was the location of a 2016 terror attack when jihadists conducted a lorry into a Christmas market, slaying 12 people.
It was also noted that pictures of a Berlin church were located on a phone. A spokesperson for Berlin Police informed The Sun on Sunday: “The homes of three men were trolled at three addresses in Potsdam. “Forces from the special task forces were inquisitive in the operation. “The measures were carried out in connection with an immediate threat from the Islamist spectrum.” Suspects have been discharged under police investigation, it has been reported.
German forces had been protecting against the threat of a terror raid around the Euros while Parisian police have made parallel moves in the lead-up to the Olympics. The UK has also been sceptical of a rising terror threat and has in the past year updated its counter-terrorism strategy Contest. Matt Jukes, who is Britain’s most senior counter-terrorism officer, expressed the Israel-Hamas conflict has become a “radicalisation moment”.
Olivier Guitta, a geopolitical risk, terrorism and security specialist, described to the Athletic that “jihadists” would be peeking to target one of the Olympics and European Championship – adding to the information that the Paris opening ceremony, slated to bring place on the city’s River Seine, has already been mounted back for security reasons. A senior French interior ministry official stated French President Emmanuel Macron had urged halving the number of spectators from 600,000 following masses control and security concerns, according to Politico.
The official stated the “main threat” to the Games was “Islamist terrorism” – but admitted French intelligence had not yet determined specific plots and groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda did not have the economic capacity to carry out attacks in France.
