Italy’s large cities all have busy Christmas markets, particularly in the northern region on South Tyrol. In Bolzano, one of the most popular markets in the country, police commissioner Lucio Carluccio told the local press: “The already well-functioning security unit has been alerted and additional teams deployed.”
The security measures already in place Bolzano include a team made up of volunteer doctors and security experts, all of whom underwent three months’ training and are equipped with bullet proof vests and an armoured car.
Security in Rome, Milan and Florence was also beefed up on Tuesday, according to media reports. Italy’s security alert level has been at 2, the highest possible in the absence of a direct attack, since the Paris attacks in November last year.
French Interior Minister Bruno Le Roux earlier urged the French to be vigilant even though security measures were in place: “We will ensure the security of our territory and citizens,” Le Roux, who visited France’s best-known Christmas market in the eastern city of Strasbourg, near the German border, told Europe 1 radio.
Police across Britain are currently reviewing security plans in the wake of the Berlin atrocity, The Telegraph reported. The threat level in London remains at “severe”, meaning an attack is considered highly likely, the Metropolitan police said on Tuesday.
Scotland Yard has said an attack with a large vehicle had already been considered as a possible scenario.
A Downing Street spokesman said: “The safety and security of British citizens is the government’s number one priority. Clearly in the light of what has happened in Berlin, police will be reviewing what is in place.”
Greater Manchester police said they had strengthened their presence at Christmas markets across the city.
The Czechs too pledged “massive” security at public events on Christmas as well as for New Year’s celebrations and in France officials say security at Christmas markets were immediately reinforced even as its lawmakers observed a minute of silence for the all-too-familiar tragedy in Germany.
An intense manhunt is still underway in Germany for the perpetrator of the Berlin terror attack, as police warned he was still at large and could be armed and dangerous. Police have only succeeded in identifying seven of the dead so far, such is the condition of some of the bodies.
They include Lukasz Urban, the Polish driver whose body was found inside the vehicle used in the attack, with a single gunshot wound to his head.
There are no details being released yet about the 12 victims who died in the Berlin truck massacre – other than six of them are reported to be German, The British daily The Mirror reported.
But there are fears growing in Italy that one of its nationals, Fabrizia Lorenzo, a 31-year-old transport specialist who lived in the city, might be among the victims after it emerged her phone and metro card had been found close to the scene.
Her family back home in Sulmona, Abruzzia, have reported her missing and are anxiously waiting for news. The Italian website Repubblica is reporting that her sister and brother have travelled to Berlin tonight to provide DNA samples to investigators.
Less than two hours after the sole terror suspect in the case was released without charge, German police admitted they had arrested the wrong man.
The Islamic State (ISIS) has meanwhile claimed responsibility for the Berlin attack. “A soldier of the Islamic State carried out the Berlin operation in response to appeals to target citizens of the crusader coalition countries,” ISIS claimed in a statement via its Amaq news agency.
The claim of responsibility is the first such a claim while the attacker involved is still alive.
The group has previously called on supporters to use truck attacks to target civilians in Europe.
But the head of Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office Holger Munch, just last month reassured Germans that the government had no “concrete evidence” of a terror attack being planned.
