Cologne police have searched Germany’s landmark cathedral with sniffer dogs Saturday and say worshippers attending Christmas Eve Mass will undergo security screening before being allowed in, amid reported fears of an Islamist attack.
In Austria, police in Vienna also say they are taking heightened security measures around churches and Christmas markets, deploying both uniformed and plainclothes officers.
The German daily Bild reports that officials in Austria, Germany and Spain all received indications that an Islamist group was planning several attacks in Europe, possibly on New Year’s Eve and Christmas.
