France on Sunday (Mar 24) announced that it will be escalating its terror alert warning to the highest level. This decision, as per Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, has been taken in response to the recent shootings in Moscow.
Threats weighing our country
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Attal stated that the move, which comes just months before Paris is set to host the Olympic Games, was made “in light of the Islamic State’s claiming responsibility for the (Moscow) attack and the threats weighing on our country”.
À la suite de l’attentat de Moscou, un Conseil de Défense et de Sécurité nationale a été réuni ce soir à l’Elysée par le Président de la République.
Compte tenu de la revendication de l’attentat par l’état islamique et des menaces qui pèsent sur notre pays, nous avons décidé de…
— Gabriel Attal (@GabrielAttal) March 24, 2024
This decision was announced after Attal, alongside President Emmanuel Macron, held a meeting with senior security and defence officials.
France’s terror alert system
As per a Reuters report, France’s terror alert system comprises three levels, with the highest level being activated following an attack in France or abroad, or when there is a perceived imminent threat of an attack.
This level allows for heightened security measures, including increased patrols by armed forces in public places such as train stations, airports, and religious sites.
Moscow concert hall attack
On Friday, just before Soviet-era rock group Picnic was to perform its hit “Afraid of Nothing” four armed men burst into Crocus City Hall, a 6,200-seat concert hall outside Moscow. Unleashing a barrage of gunfire with their automatic weapons in short bursts, the attackers killed 137 people, including three children, while another 182 were injured.
This attack was the deadliest attack inside Russia for two decades. Previously, in 2004, a siege at Beslan school had claimed 300 lives — more than half of them children.
Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the deadly attack. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin has sought to blame Ukraine for the attack.
Watch | Terror Attack in Moscow: Russia’s Putin lights candle in memory of concert attack victims
The attackers, he said, made their way to the Bryansk region, about 340 km (210 miles) southwest of Moscow.
“They tried to hide and moved towards Ukraine, where, according to preliminary data, a window was prepared for them on the Ukrainian side to cross the state border.”
As per a Reuters report, Russia has charged four suspects — Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev, Saidakrami Rachabalizoda, Shamsidin Fariduni, and Muhammadsobir Fayzov — over the attack.
(With inputs from agencies)
