The German and Austrian authorities have increased their surveillance measures in recent hours against the suspicions of possible attacks coinciding with Christmas, after movements have been detected that would point to potential attacks on religious buildings in Cologne and Vienna.

In the case of Colonia, the Police has registered the cathedral with dogs trained in the search for explosives before the services scheduled for Christmas, according to sources from the security services cited by the DPA agency. It also plans to register all the faithful and visitors who want to access the temple. The fear of possible terrorist activities, linked in principle to the Islamic State Khorasan Province – the group’s affiliate in Afghanistan – are also extends to Vienna, where the Police have confirmed a greater deployment of armed police and also officers in civilian clothes.

“The attention of the Police will focus mainly on churches and religious events (…) and in Christmas markets,” indicated the authorities, who recalled that the anti-terrorist alert remains high and, therefore, this already implies a minimum of security measures and controls. The Austrian Ministry of the Interior has confirmed the arrest of four people suspected of having a relationship with an Islamist network, although they have avoided giving details of this operation, in which the intelligence services.