(Newswire.net — December 18, 2015) — French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve recommended that Paris strengthen their security measures in churches and their surrounding areas during the Catholic Christmas celebrations, following recent attacks by jihadists in Paris, on November 13th when 130 people were killed and 350 injured.
The Minister sent a note to police and local authorities, calling on church leaders to step up security measures during Catholic Christmas – December 25th and the week following, police sources said Friday.
In the note Cazeneuve said that “churches have a symbolic power as potential targets”, AFP reports.
Earlier this year, the Minister sent a similar message after the attempted attack on a church in Paris on 19. April. 2015.
After this attempted attack, Police arrested Algerian IT student, Sid Ahmed Ghlam (19 years old), on suspicion of having murdered a woman in her car, and was planning an attack on a church in the Paris suburb of Villejuif.
In Sid Ahmed Ghlam’s house prosecution found documents about Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
On 7. January 2015. a jihadist’s attack took place as well. In an assault on a satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris, two brothers Said and Charif Karachi, killed 11 people and injured 11 others. In leaving the building, once they were outside they killed a Police officer.
That is why the Minister is now cautious and does not want to risk any potential disasters, so he is calling to boost security at all churches on Christmas December 25.
In France there are about 45,000 Catholic churches, as 4,000 Protestant and 2,600 Evangelical churches.
“Pay particular attention to abandoned packages or bags”, Cazeneuve said in the note, he also called for the number of entrances to churches be restricted.
“Inform police of any unusual behavior”, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve stressed.