Police are investigating a potential terrorist threat aimed at the Christmas markets in Bratislava. A video shared on a social network was highlighted by Police President Tibor Gašpar as a potential cause for concern, though he added that the relevance of the information in the video has not yet been confirmed. Subsequently, police in Bratislava have rolled out a number of new measures to protect people before and during the Christmas holidays, including motor-vehicle barriers in the Old Town.
Via social networks, Police are asking the public if they feel a terrorist attack is a realistic threat at either the Christmas markets in Bratislava or elsewhere in the country. According to Gašpar, these questions have stemmed from rumours of an attack spreading online. "It could be, that a person of Arab origin may lose, for example, his wallet with his papers in a hotel or on the street. The person who returns this wallet to this person may then be advised by that person to not go somewhere on a particular day, or at a specific hour at the Christmas markets due to him being in danger," said the police president, adding that this particular story has been repeated in other European cities.
"I want to assure you, however, that all this information is being thoroughly scrutinised by the police, and we have not yet confirmed the relevance of this story, but I urge all of you, if you have heard such a story, to contact the police on the telephone number 158," said Gašpar.
Some of the anti-terrorism measures taken, according to Police President Gašpar, are visible, such as motor-vehicle barriers or increased numbers of policemen, and some are confidential. "I would like to assure you that these holidays and their preparations will be peaceful, and I urge you to cooperate in providing us with information on various suspicious situations, and we will scrutinise them," said Gašpar.
