German police on alert after Islamic State calls for carnival attacks

Police are on high alert ahead of Germany’s traditional carnival celebrations this week after social media connected to the Islamic State militant group called for attacks targeting revellers in Cologne and Nuremberg, said police spokespeople.

Bild newspaper reported that a German-language propaganda site run by IS had published a computer-created collage image calling on viewers to “choose your next attack target”, and listed the dates and locations of upcoming carnival events.

The Festival of Love planned in the Dutch city of Rotterdam in early March was also listed as a target on the collage featuring a bloody knife and the hashtag #LetsSlaughter.

Germany experienced a series of high-profile attacks, including a car-ramming and stabbings, with Islamist connections in the lead-up to national elections on February 23.

The week-long carnival celebrations, which kick off on Thursday, take place in some predominantly Catholic southern and western parts of Germany, with revellers packing the streets to party, consume large quantities of alcohol and dance.

Read more: Reuters