Europe remains on high alert in the holiday season. Police in Finland have arrested two brothers on suspicion of participating in a massacre carried out by Islamic State in the Iraqi city of Tirkit.That comes after Swiss police bolstered security around the UN’s Geneva Headquarters on Thursday in response to what they called a “specific threat”. In the German capital, Berlin, armed police remain posted at public landmarks.
The order came through hours after the Paris attacks. German police at landmarks across Berlin now carry MP5 sub-machine guns, and wear bullet proof vests. At the central station much of their work remains the same but Rolf Bernsdorf says citizens are on edge – they’re reporting far more suspicious packages. Identity checks focus on particularly young men.
Security officials won’t discuss operational details, but say they’re doing everything they can to keep people safe. That was made clear three weeks ago – when an international football match in Germany was called off 90 minutes before kick-off, due to an apparent bomb plot. Despite incidents like that, life goes on.
Germany’s famous Christmas markets seem unaffected with a stall owner Salm Rohn saying visitor numbers are, if anything, higher this year. But Berlin remains on alert-a major European capital that hasn’t, yet, been hit by the horrors of Jihadi terror.
