Photo: Ludovic Marin Agence France-Presse The Vigipirate plan had been downgraded to level 2 (“reinforced security – attack risk”) in January, but was raised again on Sunday evening “to its highest level: attack emergency”.
France Media Agency in Paris
March 24, 2024
- Europe
French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced on Sunday evening that he was “raising” the country's security plan to its highest level, following the attack on Moscow claimed by the jihadist group Islamic State (IS).< /p>
“Given the Islamic State's claim of responsibility for the attack and the threats facing our country, we have decided to raise the Vigipirate posture to its highest level: attack emergency”, said Gabriel Attal on X (formerly Twitter) following a defense council at the Élysée.
“The claim for the Moscow attack comes from the Islamic State in Khorasan. However, this organization threatens France and has been involved in several recent foiled attack plans in several European countries, including Germany and France,” clarified the services of the head of government.
The Vigipirate plan was downgraded to level 2 (“reinforced security – risk of attack”) in January.
Four months before the Paris Olympic Games (July 26 to August 11), the Head of State, Emmanuel Macron, chaired a defense council on Sunday evening on “the Moscow attack and its consequences”.
The attack on Friday at Crocus City Hall near Moscow left at least 137 dead and 182 injured according to the latest report. Investigators continue to search the rubble of the building housing the concert hall, ravaged by a gigantic fire started by the attackers.
The attack was claimed by the jihadist group Islamic State (IS), but Moscow has still not blamed this organization.
On Saturday, Vladimir Putin mentioned the Ukrainian trail, ensuring that the attackers had been arrested “while they were heading towards Ukraine”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused his Russian counterpart of wanting to “shift the blame” onto his country. Adrienne Watson, spokesperson for the National Security Council at the White House, for her part estimated that ISIS bore “sole responsibility” for this massacre and that there was “no Ukrainian involvement”. 60~/p>
This attack is the deadliest in Russia in twenty years, and the bloodiest to have been claimed by IS in Europe.