REVEALED: ISIS plot to attack UK and four other EU nations on NYE foiled by police
AN ISLAMIC State (ISIS) plot to attack five European cities, including one in the UK, on New Year’s Eve were foiled by police after they arrested two suspected suicide bombers.
Five coordinated attacks in Europe planned to New Year's Eve were foiled
A computer seized during a raid by Turkish authorities revealed that senior ISIS leader Abu Mohammad al-Adnani had ordered jihadis to launch co-ordinated attacks in Britain, France, Belgium, Austria, Germany and Turkey.
Turkish police arrested suspected Ankara bombers Musa Canoz, 28, and Adnan Yildirim, 40, who were detained in a raid on December 30 2015.
The pair were charged with “possessing explosive materials” and “membership of a terrorist organisation”.
The ISIS plot to cause devastation in five European cities was discovered after police recovered e-mails showing that 13 suicide bombers had left the terror group’s stronghold in Raqqa to carry out the order.
Officers also seized a suicide vest armed with a bomb, a second explosive device fortified with ball bearings, metal sticks concealed inside a backpack and bomb-making equipment.
Police in Ankara arrested two suspected bombers on December 30, 2015
IN NUMBERS: ISIS attacks around the world
They were caught before they had the opportunity to take action
Canoz and Yildirim were suspected of coordinating the planned attack in Turkey.
Police found photographs of many spots in Ankara, including the courthouse, police headquarters, a military school, mosques, malls and two popular squares, on the computers of the suspects.
Canoz and Yildirim took the photos and wrote down notes for each spot, the officials said.
The office of the chief prosecutor of Ankara said: “They were caught before they had the opportunity to take action.”
New year celebrations in Paris were sombre but defiant on the Champs-Élysées
Cities around the world tightened security in the run up to new year celebrations just weeks after 130 people were killed in Paris by terrorists.
The warning of possible imminent attacks across Europe led to some cities hastily cancelling celebrations.
Munich police in Germany also issued a terror alert late on December 31 2015 after the shared intelligence, evacuating two main train stations and advising revellers to avoid large crowds.
Police officers in riot gear are seen guarding the entrance to the closed central station in Munich
Paris saw in the new year in a sombre but defiant tone, with France’s largest public gathering since the atrocities going ahead on the Champs-Élysées.
However, the annual fireworks display was replaced by a five-minute video performance just before midnight to prevent large crowds from gathering for a long period of time.
Around 11,000 soldiers, police and emergency workers patrolled the streets seven weeks after the deadly attacks in the French capital.
Celebrations in London went ahead as usual under extra precautions, with an increase number of firearms officers on the streets.