class=”sc-29f61514-0 icZBHN”>
There have been many security incidents around the Federal Palace in recent months: on October 5, Bundesplatz was closed for almost an hour due to a suspicious object. For this reason, the Bundesplatz had already been closed a year earlier and the police deployed a bomb disposal robot.
Things were very difficult in February. A man in a combat uniform wanted to break into the Federal Palace via the Federal Terrace. Security forces evacuated the parliament building, the east and west wings of the Federal Palace, the front part of the National Bank building and two banks.
But authorities have never taken such extensive security measures as on Wednesday, cordoning off the area around the Federal Palace and evacuating buildings. Even if the alarm turns out to be false, security authorities are likely to have been particularly cautious in light of the terrorist attacks in Europe.
The greatest danger is a lone perpetrator
The Federal Intelligence Service (NDB) has no evidence of specific attack plans. However, the threat of terrorism in Switzerland remains high, authorities said upon request.
“The terrorist threat against Switzerland is mainly characterized by the jihadist movement, especially by people who sympathize with the Islamic State or are inspired by jihadist propaganda,” the report said. The most plausible terrorist scenario for Switzerland currently is an act of violence committed by a jihadist-inspired individual with a simple modus operandi. According to the NDB’s assessment, this attack would be aimed at weakly protected targets, such as crowds.
City of Bern responds
For this reason, the city of Bern has increased security measures for the Bundesplatz. The popular light show “Rendez-vous Bundesplatz” starts the new season there on Saturday, bringing together hundreds of spectators every evening. “Given the current situation, additional measures have been taken,” safety director Reto Nause (52) told “BernToday”. Nause did not provide further information for tactical reasons.
In St. Gallen, due to the increased threat situation and despite Olma, there is no reason to strengthen security measures. “We have been using stricter safety measures for a long time, for example with traffic bollards and roadblocks,” says city police spokesperson Dionys Widmer. The employees are also following the news situation, but so far there have been no increased reports.
From Zurich and Basel it sounds the same: the security situation is continuously monitored and the analysis takes into account a wide variety of aspects, “including the latest findings from current events,” as the Zurich city police reports. Both cities have also banned demonstrations and gatherings related to the war in the Middle East.
NDB has identified 41 people at risk
According to the latest figures from early summer, the NDB considers 41 people living in Switzerland as so-called people at risk. These can be violent jihadists, but also people who support and encourage other forms of terrorism. There are no Europe-wide figures on such risky people – however, 260 jihadists were arrested across the EU in 2021, and Germany currently estimates the number of dangerous people at 505.
According to the NDB’s assessment, other states are more exposed than Switzerland, especially those that participate militarily in international coalitions against the Islamic State or that are considered particularly Islamophobic by jihadist-inspired people.
Source:Blick
I am Liam Livingstone and I work in a news website. My main job is to write articles for the 24 Instant News. My specialty is covering politics and current affairs, which I’m passionate about. I have worked in this field for more than 5 years now and it’s been an amazing journey. With each passing day, my knowledge increases as well as my experience of the world we live in today.
