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Munich police warn of imminent terror threat | Munich police warn of imminent terror threat |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Police in the German city of Munich have warned of a planned terror attack and asked people to avoid crowds. | |
The police tweeted that the city's main station and Pasing station had been evacuated and said trains were no longer stopping there. | The police tweeted that the city's main station and Pasing station had been evacuated and said trains were no longer stopping there. |
In a Facebook post, authorities said they had "serious information" that the attack had been planned for New Year's Eve. They gave no further details. | In a Facebook post, authorities said they had "serious information" that the attack had been planned for New Year's Eve. They gave no further details. |
Cities across Europe are already on a heightened state of alert. | Cities across Europe are already on a heightened state of alert. |
"Current indications show that a terror attack is being planned in Munich. Please avoid gatherings of people and the Munich and Pasing train stations," police said in the tweet. | "Current indications show that a terror attack is being planned in Munich. Please avoid gatherings of people and the Munich and Pasing train stations," police said in the tweet. |
Munich newspaper TZ reported that police believed several groups of attackers could strike at different locations in the city. | Munich newspaper TZ reported that police believed several groups of attackers could strike at different locations in the city. |
Police said they had two pieces of information about a possible attack, German media reported. | Police said they had two pieces of information about a possible attack, German media reported. |
"We have concrete information that we cannot sweep under the carpet," Bild newspaper quoted a police spokesperson as saying. | "We have concrete information that we cannot sweep under the carpet," Bild newspaper quoted a police spokesperson as saying. |
Local media reports say the information had come from French authorities. | Local media reports say the information had come from French authorities. |
Armed police have cordoned off the main station and asked people nearby to leave the area, TZ reported. | Armed police have cordoned off the main station and asked people nearby to leave the area, TZ reported. |
The newspaper quoted a spokesperson as saying the situation was "comparable to that in Hannover" in November, when a football match between Germany and the Netherlands was called off after what Hannover police called a "concrete security threat". | The newspaper quoted a spokesperson as saying the situation was "comparable to that in Hannover" in November, when a football match between Germany and the Netherlands was called off after what Hannover police called a "concrete security threat". |
"We want to minimise the risk as much as possible," the spokesperson told the newspaper. | "We want to minimise the risk as much as possible," the spokesperson told the newspaper. |
The city's police said they had called in reinforcements from southern Bavaria while special police units were already operating in the city. | |
Belgium arrests | |
Security concerns had already caused New Year celebrations to be cancelled or limited in other European cities. | |
The authorities in Brussels called off all official events after three people were detained on Thursday in connection with an alleged New Year's Eve plot. | |
They are being held for a further 24 hours, prosecutors said. Two other terror suspects were arrested earlier this week. | |
New Year: Celebrations mark start of 2016 | |
But the apparent plots to target New Year celebrations in Brussels were not related to the suspected network behind the Paris attacks, the authorities said. | |
Police seized material during Thursday's raids including computers, phones and materials for playing airsoft - a military simulation game in which players fire replica weapons loaded with plastic pellets. | |
Separately, Belgian police arrested a 10th suspect over the 13 November attacks in Paris, in which 130 people were killed. | |
The Belgian national, identified as Ayoub B, was detained on Wednesday during a raid in the Brussels district of Molenbeek. He has been charged with terrorist murder and participation in the activities of a terrorist group. | |
Paris attacks: Is Molenbeek a hotbed of extremism? | |
In Paris, the traditional fireworks display has been called off but thousands of people partied on the Champs Elysees in the biggest public gathering since last month's attacks. | |
More than 100,000 police were deployed across France. | |
Extra measures | |
Security was stepped up in other major European cities too, including Moscow, London and Berlin. | |
Earlier this week, Austrian police claimed a "friendly intelligence service" had tipped them off that major European capitals were at risk of being attacked over the holiday period. | |
In Moscow, the fireworks were delayed by five minutes and, for the first time, the police closed Red Square - a traditional place for crowds to gather. | |
London's Metropolitan Police deployed 3,000 officers in the inner city, including extra armed officers. | |
In Berlin, officials said the security situation remained unchanged despite the alert in Munich. | |
Backpacks and fireworks were banned and bags searched on the "party mile" leading up to the Brandenburg Gate. | |
Ankara 'plot' | |
On Wednesday, Turkish police arrested two suspected IS members over an alleged plot to attack celebrations in Ankara. | |
State media said they were planning two separate attacks on crowded areas. Suicide vests and explosives were found during police raids. |