The police say they have taken special security measures in Cologne Cathedral. The background is an indication of impending danger on New Year’s Eve. The state security agency has therefore started an investigation.
What exactly was planned? Who is behind the plans? And how does it continue? Many questions about the possible attack plans on Cologne Cathedral are still open.
Police car in front of Cologne Cathedral
According to ARD information, security authorities have received information about a possible attack plan by an Islamist group on Cologne Cathedral. That’s why police officers searched Cologne Cathedral on Saturday evening and Sunday night. After the evening mass, officials walked through the cathedral with sniffer dogs. But no explosives were discovered, security sources said. The cathedral was closed overnight, but is now open again.
The danger warning initially referred to New Year’s Eve. But because a “particularly Christian festival” is just around the corner on Christmas Eve and a lot of people are out and about around Cologne Cathedral and the main train station, “we have brought forward the operation so much, especially against the background of the tense security situation in Germany and Europe “To protect the cathedral and the people as best as possible,” said Michael Esser, head of the Cologne criminal police, on Sunday morning.
According to information from ARD terrorism expert Michael Götschenberg, a man was also arrested in Saarland in connection with the alleged attack plans. There have been no arrests in North Rhine-Westphalia so far, reports the dpa, citing security circles.
Michael Esser, head of the Cologne criminal police, speaks to the press
Because of the ongoing investigations by the state security agency, the Cologne police do not want to comment on details. “Indications that predict such dangers always lead to us coordinating them with security partners at the federal and state levels,” said Esser.
The security authorities in Germany, Austria and Spain apparently had information about the possible attack plans. Accordingly, an Islamist terrorist cell planned to carry out attacks on Christmas or New Year’s Eve. The Christmas service in Cologne Cathedral could also have been the target of such an attack.
A church in Vienna was also a possible target, it was said on Saturday. In this context, the Austrian Office for the Protection of the Constitution has arrested four people during investigations against an Islamist network, according to the Ministry of the Interior there.
According to information from ARD terrorism expert Michael Götschenberg, the group that is apparently behind the attack plans is probably related to an offshoot of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist network, which calls itself the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISPK), and has been in Afghanistan for several years an armed conflict with the militant Islamist Taliban. However, this has not yet been officially confirmed.
It would not be the first time that this group has attracted attention in North Rhine-Westphalia: Already in July there were raids against terror suspects who were said to have been in contact with members of the Islamic State in Khorasan Province. And in November, two young people were arrested for allegedly planning an attack on the Christmas market in Leverkusen. The two had apparently planned to travel to Afghanistan together after the attack and join the ISPK there.
The ISPK is working flat out to be able to carry out major attacks in the West, warn German constitutional protection officers. “The strengthening of this group in Afghanistan increases the threat situation in Germany,” said Thomas Haldenwang, President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, in the spring.
Police and visitors at Cologne Cathedral
The police measures did not end with the search of the cathedral. On Christmas Eve, “all visitors are subjected to a check before entering the place of worship,” said the head of Cologne’s criminal police, Esser. The police and the cathedral chapter recommend avoiding bags and coming to mass early. In addition, the security measures should continue between Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
The church therefore asks its visitors to be patient. “All Christmas services in Cologne Cathedral will take place, but they will be subject to access controls, which are unfortunately necessary,” explained cathedral provost Guido Assmann on Sunday morning. “I am convinced that we will overcome this challenge with typical Cologne calm and Christmas anticipation and celebrate the birth of the Lord in the usual, festive manner.”
How do people react?
NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU)
North Rhine-Westphalia Interior Minister Herbert Reul has appealed to people not to forego visiting church at Christmas for fear of an attack. “Caution is the order of the day. But we are not defenseless. Our authorities are using all their knowledge to protect us as best as possible. This is now shown by the measures in Cologne,” emphasized Reul and added: “My appeal: go to church, “Celebrate Christmas. Fear is the currency of terrorists. We must not add value to it.”
Some people want to take this attitude to heart.
We come every year, we always go to carol singing and then it’s tradition that we go to the cathedral in the morning. And we’ll go in there today if we’re allowed to.
A visitor to the cathedral
“I find it sad that buildings like this are affected at Christmas time,” said another passer-by. But she wouldn’t go to church today: “Probably because then I wouldn’t be able to really concentrate on it. With the ulterior motive that something could happen. Isn’t that sad?”
Uour sources:
- Press release and statements from the Cologne police
- Report of the “Bild” newspaper
- ARD terrorism expert
- News agencies dpa, epd and AFP