Munich train stations reopen after Isis suicide bomb threat is downgraded

Just before the city rang in the new year, police had evacuated the main train station and a station in the Pasing neighbourhood (Reuters)

Munich train stations have reopened after Bavaria’s top security official said the threat level from Isis extremists intending to blow themselves up had been reduced.

“We no longer have concrete indications for a terror threat today or tomorrow at a specific location,” Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann said. He warned, however, that the overall terror threat in Europe remained high.

Just before the city rang in the new year, police had evacuated the main train station and a station in the Pasing neighbourhood. Partygoers were asked to avoid crowds.

Mr Herrmann said a friendly foreign intelligence service had warned Germany of an imminent attack at midnight by between five and seven Isis militants from Syria and Iraq planning to blow themselves up at locations in Munich, including the two stations.

Authorities were investigating intensively, Mr Herrmann said, but so far had not made any arrests. He said they had received personal data for some of the attackers and were still in the process of verifying the information. He would not give any further details on the alleged attackers and could not confirm if they actually existed.

Just before the city rang in the new year, police had evacuated the main train station and a station in the Pasing neighbourhood (Reuters)

Mr Herrmann called on Munich residents to be cautious, but at the same time not to let terror threats interfere with their normal lives.

More than 500 police and special unit officers from all over the region were called to Munich on late on 31 January to help evacuate and secure the stations.

As of noon on New Year's Day, some 100 extra officers were still present in the city.

Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere issued a statement thanking the authorities for their “thoughtful, considerate and decisive” action.

It read: “The situation in Europe and Germany continues to be serious in the new year. Indeed we did get indications (for a planned attack) yesterday, which were evaluated by the Bavarian intelligence authorities and federal police.”

Despite the earlier police warnings to stay away from big crowds, thousands of people took to the streets of Munich at midnight to welcome the new year with fireworks.

Cities across Europe have been on edge since the Isis attacks in Paris in November which killed 130 people.

PA

Dutch airport threat: British man arrested

Passengers were evacuated from Terminal 3 of Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport when a British man was arrested after reportedly shouting bomb threats. Pictures on social media show a man lying on the floor as officers point rifles at him.

A spokeswoman at the Dutch airport said: “The 29-year-old man was arrested at around 8am. It was only one check-in line that had to be evacuated for maximum of half an hour – if that. Security control remained open as it is located further away. He was taken away by the police.”