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Multiple terror attacks foiled in Europe
Source: Agencies |
September 30, 2010, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
INTELLIGENCE agencies have disrupted plans for multiple attacks on European cities by a group thought to be linked to al-Qaida, Britain's Sky News said on Tuesday.
Militants based in Pakistan were planning strikes in London, France and Germany, the channel's foreign affairs editor Tim Marshall said.
He said an increase in drone attacks in Pakistan in the past few weeks was linked to attempts by Western powers to disrupt the plot, which was at an "advanced but not imminent stage."
British security sources declined to comment on the report.
Britain in January raised its international terrorism threat level to "severe" - the second highest level of alert in the five-tier system.
The head of Britain's MI5 Security Service, Jonathan Evans, said earlier this month there remained "a serious risk of a lethal attack taking place."
The Eiffel Tower and the surrounding Champ de Mars park were briefly evacuated on Tuesday, the second time in two weeks, because of a bomb alert but a search found nothing, police said.
French Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux said last week France faced a real terrorism threat due to a backlash from al-Qaida militants in North Africa, with fears growing of an attack from home-grown cells within French borders.
Citing unidentified intelligence sources, Sky said the planned attacks would have been similar to the commando-style raids carried out in Mumbai by Pakistan-based gunmen in 2008.
The heavily armed militants launched an assault on various targets in Mumbai, including the Taj Mahal hotel and the city's main train station.
United States officials declined to comment on specific plots in Europe or elsewhere but acknowledged that targeted drone strikes in Pakistan were meant to disrupt militant networks planning attacks.
Militants based in Pakistan were planning strikes in London, France and Germany, the channel's foreign affairs editor Tim Marshall said.
He said an increase in drone attacks in Pakistan in the past few weeks was linked to attempts by Western powers to disrupt the plot, which was at an "advanced but not imminent stage."
British security sources declined to comment on the report.
Britain in January raised its international terrorism threat level to "severe" - the second highest level of alert in the five-tier system.
The head of Britain's MI5 Security Service, Jonathan Evans, said earlier this month there remained "a serious risk of a lethal attack taking place."
The Eiffel Tower and the surrounding Champ de Mars park were briefly evacuated on Tuesday, the second time in two weeks, because of a bomb alert but a search found nothing, police said.
French Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux said last week France faced a real terrorism threat due to a backlash from al-Qaida militants in North Africa, with fears growing of an attack from home-grown cells within French borders.
Citing unidentified intelligence sources, Sky said the planned attacks would have been similar to the commando-style raids carried out in Mumbai by Pakistan-based gunmen in 2008.
The heavily armed militants launched an assault on various targets in Mumbai, including the Taj Mahal hotel and the city's main train station.
United States officials declined to comment on specific plots in Europe or elsewhere but acknowledged that targeted drone strikes in Pakistan were meant to disrupt militant networks planning attacks.
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