Protect the embassy and consulates of Israel, but also to the legations of Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and the representation of Palestineand reinforcing security measures around synagogues and educational buildings or Israeli cultural centers, as well as offices and headquarters of economic interest in these five countries are the main objectives of the increased security measures ordered by the Interior after evaluating the terrorist threat status in Spain.
The headquarters and interests of these five countries are the main focus of attention of the State Security Forces since this Tuesday. But there are more points of attention. A circular from the Secretary of State for Security sent to all police commanders – to which EL PERIÓDICO has had access – includes not only the diplomatic legations of the Middle East, but also those of the United States, the United Kingdom, and those of the other 26 EU member countries. From this group of diplomatic headquarters mentioned, it is requested special surveillance for those of France, Denmark and Sweden.
The three countries, due to recent events related to Muslim immigration, are considered priority targets for possible terrorist attacks not only in Spain, but also by the rest of the police in Europe.
The order of the Secretary of State, Rafael Perezrequests this Wednesday the commanders of the Security Forces to take extreme “prevention, protection and response“, after the weekly meeting held yesterday by the minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska with him and with police commanders from all forces in Spain and representatives of the CNI, the Department of National Security and the Intelligence Center of the Armed Forces. At that meeting, these measures were decided, which increase surveillance but not, for the moment, level 4 – or “high risk” – of anti-terrorist alert in which Spain is since the accumulation of attacks in France, Tunisia, Kuwait and Somalia of 2015.
Self-protection
The new instruction also asks national police, civil guards, mossos, ertzainas, regional police and municipal agents, as well as private security workers, to take extreme measures. “self-protection recommendations” that have already been given on other occasions to prevent attacks.
They are the same measures that are activated in extraordinary eventssuch as international summits, and which was already included once by the Secretary of State in an instruction issued in June 2017, as well as in the Anti-Terrorism Prevention, Protection and Response Plan of February 2022.
The instructions that are given now, with the war between Israel and Hamas, highlight as moments of danger of terrorist attack all those that provide the notable dates of religious calendarsdays of rest or national celebration of Spain or the aforementioned countries.
Related news
The measures include special attention to entry and exit routes in large capacity venues – shows, transport centers… – and surveillance of suspicious packages or packages in public spaces. The set of instructions urges the maintenance of constant contact of each agent with reinforcement in police units, as well as conditioning and increasing weapons, clothing and other self-protection elements in accordance with the current threat.
The current set of measures does not imply the cancellation of releases of Security Forces agents, nor does it establish a date for the end of this increase in security.