Interior orders new "complementary security measures" but maintains level 4 anti-terrorist alert

MADRID, 17 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Ministry of the Interior ordered this Tuesday after meeting the Terrorist Threat Assessment Table that "complementary security measures be adopted immediately within alert level 4 out of 5", which entails a reinforcement of devices at "points especially sensitive throughout the national territory and the increase in anti-terrorist measures by the State Security Forces and Bodies".

This was reported by the Ministry of the Interior in a statement after the meeting of the Terrorist Threat Assessment Table, under the presidency of the head of the portfolio, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, and in a context of escalating tension due to the terrorist attack. of Hamas and Israel's response.

Sources from the Ministry of the Interior announced on October 9, after the Hamas terrorist attack, that a reinforcement of security devices had been ordered in places considered "sensitive" in Spain. The Government delegate in Madrid, Francisco Martín, specified that this reinforcement affected the Israeli embassy in Spain, located on Velázquez Street in Madrid, as well as synagogues, places of worship and Jewish centers.

The Interior highlighted this Tuesday that level 4 out of 5 "already implies a series of strict measures to reinforce security devices and control and monitoring capabilities by all the organizations involved."

"Among other factors, certain special units are activated, protection devices are reinforced, surveillance measures on critical infrastructure are increased, cyber surveillance measures are coordinated and periodic evaluations are carried out on all these measures," the Ministry has specified. .

Interior has specified that all measures will be transmitted by the Secretary of State for Security to the State Security Forces and Bodies, to the Government delegations and to Interior or Security ministries of the autonomous communities that have their own Police forces "to its immediate implementation".

In this Tuesday's meeting, in addition to the minister, the Secretary of State for Security, Rafael Pérez Ruiz, the general director of Coordination and Studies, José Antonio Rodríguez, as well as representatives of the National Intelligence Center (CNI), of the National Police, the Civil Guard, the Mossos d'Esquadra, the Ertzaintza, the Intelligence Center of the Armed Forces (CIFAS) and the Department of National Security.

The representatives of each of the bodies and institutions that participated in the meeting have presented their evaluation of the current security situation in Spain.

This Terrorist Threat Assessment Table, as stipulated in the Anti-Terrorism Prevention and Protection Plan, meets at level 4 with a minimum weekly frequency to evaluate all security elements.

This Tuesday's meeting, therefore, took place hours after the Belgian Police fatally shot the suspect of committing the attack in Brussels last night that left two Swedish fans dead and a third seriously injured. The terrorist action was committed before the soccer match between Belgium and Sweden.