Threats of an Islamic State attack on Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG) Parc des Princes soccer stadium during the upcoming PSG-Barcelona match prompted French police on Wednesday to implement heightened security measures.
French law enforcement was seen towing away parked cars, installing concrete blocks, and stationing heavily armed personnel around checkpoints ahead of the highly anticipated Champions League quarterfinal match.
Fellow host countries, Spain and England, also undertook additional security precautions this week after the Islamic State called on its followers to attack sporting venues across Europe.
SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors the online activity of jihadist and white supremacist terror groups, reported that the Islamic State had posted a photo of the Parc de Princes stadium, encouraging its supporters to recreate the November 2015 Paris attacks, a series of coordinated bombings and shootings at stadiums, music venues, and restaurants that left 130 dead and more than 415 injured.
Preparing to host the Olympics
As Paris prepares to host the Olympics this summer, security concerns regarding a potential mass casualty terror attack have surged following the recent attacks of ISIS-Khorasan, or ISIS-K, the newly reinvigorated Afghan branch of the Islamic State.
Responsible for last month’s attack on a Moscow concert hall that left hundreds of people dead, ISIS-KK and the umbrella Islamic State organization itself have also been reportedly urging followers online to utilize new terror tactics to evade detection, such as using drones.