Police have been deployed to the city centre and two city train stations, including the central one, which were shut down in the final hours of 2015 after police, acting on a foreign intelligence tip, issued a terrorism warning.
Advertisement
Munich police refused to confirm the nationalities of the suspects, where they lived or whether a manhunt was underway.
“Five to seven” suspects were believed to be planning to carry out a “suicide attack” as festivities were under way to welcome in the New Year, Munich police chief Hubertus Andrae said.
Munich police tweeted Friday that “stations are open, but the situation is still serious”.
Mr Andrae said so far there had not been any arrests. “If on top of that it included names of attackers, I see that as a very solid threat”, he said. “We’re working hard right now to try to establish the whereabouts of these people named and whether they are in Germany or Europe”. “If we knew this, we would be a clear step further”, he added. Federal authorities said Lutchman met with an FBI informant and purchased supplies, including zip ties, a machete and duct tape.
More than 500 police officers were called in on New Year’s Eve just in case the threat eventuated into an attack. There are now armed police guards at the stations. “Even though nothing happened, our terror warning stays in place”.
Bavarian interior minister Joachim Herrmann told reporters his country had received information regarding a planned atrocity.
He warned, however, that the overall terror threat in Europe remained high.
RIA reported that Paveletsky and Kursky stations had been evacuated and said later that no bomb was found at Kursky after sniffer dogs searched the station.
German officials said Friday they had information indicating the Islamic State group was planning a suicide bomb attack on New Year’s Eve in the southern city of Munich.
“Due to existing information which we take highly seriously, there is an attack planned tonight”.
He called on Munich residents to be cautious, but not to let terror threats interfere with their everyday lives. (Photo by Johannes Simon/Getty Images) Police officers in riot gear are seen guarding the entrance to the closed central station in Munich on January 1, 2016.
German Interior Minister Thomas De Maiziere says the hunt is on after getting a tip about a possible suicide bombing on the city’s metro system.
On Wednesday, Belgian authorities cancelled a New Year’s Eve firework display, citing fears of a possible attack.
Advertisement
“But we don’t have a concrete indication that there will be an attack today or tomorrow at a specific location”, he said.
