French police tightened security around PSG’s Parc des Princes stadium on Wednesday amid the specter of attacks by Islamic State, deepening security concerns ahead of the summer Olympics.
PSG will face Barcelona today within the Champions League quarter-finals, which will probably be watched by thousands and thousands around the globe.
Spain and Britain also doubled their tally this week across the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday and Wednesday after the resurgent Islamic State militant group called for attacks on host venues, including using drones.
Arsenal drew at home with Bayern Munich and Real Madrid drew at home with Manchester City.
The threats are particularly worrisome for France, which has long been a goal of militant groups because it prepares for the Paris Olympics in July and August.
On Wednesday, police began towing away parked cars and installing concrete blocks at PSG’s Parc des Princes stadium.
The operations were led by senior police officers.
But fans at a PSG supermarket in central Paris shrugged off the concerns. “I’m not afraid,” Mathieu said. “We cannot live in fear. Instead, we need to show them that we can get through this.”
On Tuesday, Arsenal’s matches against Bayern Munich in London and Real Madrid’s matches against Manchester City in Madrid went off with none disruptions. Atletico Madrid will face Borussia Dortmund of Spain on Wednesday evening within the fourth quarter-final.
According to the Site Intelligence group, which tracks posts by Islamic militants, Islamic State published a post calling on supporters to recreate the November 2015 attack on the Stade de France stadium, including a photograph of the Parc des Princes stadium.
Another photo seen by Site Intelligence urged militants to make use of drones to attack stadiums.
Spain said it was deploying greater than 2,000 officers to increase security in Madrid through the games.
After being largely crushed by the U.S.-led coalition, the Islamic State is slowly rebuilding its capabilities through underground sleeper cells.
Its Afghan affiliate, referred to as ISIS-K, has been particularly energetic in recent months. The group claimed responsibility for a deadly mass attack at a concert near Moscow last month, and in addition carried out twin bombings in Iran that killed nearly 100 people earlier this 12 months.
Credit : www.independent.co.uk