Spain and France announced that they will reinforce internal security after receiving terrorist threats from propaganda channels linked to the Islamic State, mainly through the Al-Azaim foundation, which promised to execute people during the quarter-final games of the Champions League, a competition annual event that takes place on the European continent and brings together thousands of fans in stadiums.
In one of the threats, a man with his face covered and with an automatic weapon in his hand appears in an image, followed by the name of the stadiums where the games will be played this week and the phrase “kill them all”, in English. Sports matches are scheduled to take place in London, Paris and Madrid.
Soon after becoming aware of the episodes, the Spanish and French authorities announced the creation of strong security schemes. In Spain, the government raised the anti-terrorism alert level from 4 to 5 and promised to spread security devices throughout Madrid to prevent possible attacks.
“To prevent the terrorist threat, the State security forces have activated all their preventive warning and protection systems, as well as their defense mechanisms,” the Ministry of the Interior said.
France has also been at the highest level of alert since the Moscow attack in March. According to French Interior Minister Gerald Damarnin, the security reinforcement is a response to the “threat”. Despite the threats, the countries kept the games.
The counter-terrorism adviser who leads stadium security for London's Metropolitan Police, Richard Barnes, also told the broadcaster CBS who was investigating the threats before the game. According to him, this type of terrorist action is not a new tactic used by terrorist groups and is done to “cause alarm”.
UEFA, the body that manages the Champions League competition, also announced that it was aware of the facts and is working with the competent authorities to guarantee the safety of fans. “All games are planned to take place as scheduled, with appropriate safety measures in place,” the statement said.
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