A terror group linked to Islamic State has named three German cities as targets ahead of the Euros next month.
Host cities Berlin, Dortmund, and Munich were listed by “Voice of Khorasan,” based in Afghanistan. A disturbing montage included a fighter in camouflage, brandishing a machine gun inside an empty football stadium.
The headline reads: “Where do you want?” followed by “Then score the last goal.” Berlin, Dortmund, and Munich - where Germany open the tournament against Scotland on June 14 - are listed below.
England are in Gelsenkirchen on June 16 against Serbia, before a trip to Frankfurt to play Denmark four days later and then on to Cologne to face Slovenia on June 25. The final on July 14 is in Berlin.
It was initially thought Champions League games could be hit. But experts believe the threat relates to the Euros. Stefan Bisanz, managing director of consulting plus Holding GmbH, used to work for the German Federal Ministry of Defence.
He told the Mirror : “Berlin has been named as a target before. It stirs up fear among fans that this could happen. These terrorist groups are using these pronouncements to radicalise people all over the world.”
Organisers are working with intelligence services across Europe to combat the threat. Christoph de Vries, a conservative german Christian Democrat (CDU) politician, has described the extremist publication as “a blatant threat.”
He reassured the public about the preparedness of German security authorities, adding: “Our security authorities are very well prepared and there is an intensive international exchange.”
German state officials believe Islamic State has a network of more than 100 agents in western Europe, with 50 in Germany. Police were placed on alert over the Easter period following terror attacks in Moscow.
Four gunmen from Tajikistan stormed a concert hall dressed in camouflage and killed 144 people, wounding another 551.