The decision was taken two days after the massacre committed by Daesh terrorists in a concert hall near Moscow. The government decided, Sunday evening, to “enhance” the Vigipirate plan in France. “Given the claim of the attack by the Islamic State and the threats weighing on our country, we have decided to raise the Vigipirate posture to its highest level: attack emergency,” explained the Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, on the social network X following a defense council at the Elysée.
French intelligence services attribute the attack to the Islamic State group in Khorasan (EI-K), which “fomented” and “carried out” it, Emmanuel Macron said on Monday. However, this terrorist group “had carried out several attempts on our own soil in recent months”, explained the Head of State during a trip to Guyana. “And therefore, given its ramifications and its intentions, as a precautionary measure but with credible and solid elements”, he “decided to raise the posture of Vigipirate”, which had been lowered in January.
“A rise in power of this organization”
According to Jean-Charles Brisard, the president of the Terrorism Analysis Center (CAT), one of the attempted attacks mentioned by the President of the Republic “dates from November 2022”. “That said, in Europe, there have been several foiled attacks, in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden. We have felt a rise in the power of this organization for several years now and its capabilities to strike,” continues this expert on terrorist movements.
The Afghan branch of the Islamic State “is the most active in Europe and is the one that has long expressed the intention of committing a major attack,” explains Jean-Charles Brisard. This organization, he said, “wants to weaken the Taliban power with which it is in conflict and poses itself as an alternative”. “It exports its capabilities to show that the Taliban are incapable of ensuring security on their own soil,” summarizes the specialist.
The Olympic Games “particularly targeted”
According to him, “all Western intelligence services are unanimous: this organization has reached a critical threshold which allows it to prepare an attack in Europe, either through local relays or by sending members of the organization itself. »
“The capabilities exist,” he assures. A few months before the start of the Paris Olympic Games, security tension is rising a notch. “This type of global event is particularly targeted by these organizations given the global resonance,” warns Jean-Charles Brisard.