File Photo: Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, right, sits next to Deputy PM Soraya Saenz de Santamaria (Reuters)
Madrid:
Spain raised its terror alert level from medium to high today after deadly attacks in France, Tunisia and Kuwait, its Interior Minister Jorge Fernandez Diaz said.
"Considering the proximity of our country to the places where some of these attacks took place, it has been proposed to raise the anti-terrorist alert from three out of five, or 'medium', to four or 'high'", he told a news conference.
"I have adopted that decision."
He spoke after an urgent meeting of the government's top counter terrorism and intelligence officials and opposition political leaders, prompted by today's attacks.
He said the decision was also motivated by the first anniversary on June 29 of the Islamic State extremist group's declaration of a 'caliphate' in territories under its control.
"We are at war with barbarism against civilisation," the minister said.
The Riu Imperial Marhaba hotel where a gunman killed 28 people in Tunisia's Sousse resort is run by a Spanish company.
One person was decapitated near Lyon in southeastern France, while in Kuwait a suicide bombing at a mosque claimed by Islamic State jihadists killed 25.
Among European Union leaders gathered for a summit in Brussels, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy was one of the first to react to news of the attack in France.
"Barbarism will always be confronted by unity among democrats," he wrote in a message on Twitter.
"Considering the proximity of our country to the places where some of these attacks took place, it has been proposed to raise the anti-terrorist alert from three out of five, or 'medium', to four or 'high'", he told a news conference.
"I have adopted that decision."
He spoke after an urgent meeting of the government's top counter terrorism and intelligence officials and opposition political leaders, prompted by today's attacks.
He said the decision was also motivated by the first anniversary on June 29 of the Islamic State extremist group's declaration of a 'caliphate' in territories under its control.
"We are at war with barbarism against civilisation," the minister said.
The Riu Imperial Marhaba hotel where a gunman killed 28 people in Tunisia's Sousse resort is run by a Spanish company.
One person was decapitated near Lyon in southeastern France, while in Kuwait a suicide bombing at a mosque claimed by Islamic State jihadists killed 25.
Among European Union leaders gathered for a summit in Brussels, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy was one of the first to react to news of the attack in France.
"Barbarism will always be confronted by unity among democrats," he wrote in a message on Twitter.
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