The city of Bern has increased security measures: this is the threat of terrorism in Switzerland

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.