Al-Qaeda plans for wave of deadly European attacks uncovered

Germany’s Interior Ministry said on Wednesday that it was aware of Al-Qaeda’s aim to attack Western targets following reports in the media claiming that Al-Qaeda was planning Mumbai-style attacks in Britain, France and Germany. Germany said it had no evidence of any “concrete” plans and its risk assessment remained unchanged.

Photo: Reuters

“Accounts, particularly in US and British media, saying that Al-Qaeda has long term plans to launch attacks in the United States, Europe and also in Germany are known to the security services,” a statement said. 

They said their information had come from “intelligence services” and was bring “analysed and assessed”. The source of the information is thought to be a German suspect captured on his way to Europe.

Reports from Sky news, the BBC and American channel ABC news had said that security agencies had uncovered significance intelligence pointing to a Mumbai-style plot in western Europe.

It was claimed that that teams of jihadists based in Pakistan were planning simultaneous strikes in London and major cities in France and Germany, seizing Western hostages and murdering them.

The United States was also a possible target and agencies on both sides of the Atlantic are investigating the plots, while US President Barack Obama has been briefed.

Planning for the attacks is reported to have been well under way although they were not imminent and recent drone strikes in Pakistan are said to targeted several key plotters.

The national threat level in Britain, France and Germany is currently at “severe”.

These reports come after the Eiffel Tower in Paris was evacuated on Tuesday night following the second hoax bomb threat at the landmark in a month.

France has been on a heightened state of alert amid warnings of an imminent terrorist attack but an official said Tuesday these warnings were not linked to the reported Al-Qaeda plans.