France fears terrorist attacks after Crocus City tragedy

In the context of the terrorist attack that took place in the Moscow region, France declared the highest level of terrorist threat. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced this on Sunday, March 24, on social network X.

According to the Prime Minister, French President Emmanuel Macron convened the country's Defense and National Security Council at the Elysee Palace. Attal cited the March 22 terrorist attack in the Crocus City Hall concert hall in Krasnogorsk near Moscow, where several armed men opened fire on visitors and then set the building on fire as the reason for the meeting.

"Given the Islamic State's claim of responsibility for the attack and the threats being made to our country, we have decided to raise the Vigipirate (National Terrorist Threat Alert System - Ed.) to the highest level – “full readiness for an attack,” Attal said.

Vigipirate includes five terror alert levels, fr om “white,” wh ere no threat is expected, to the highest “purple” level. The highest level implies a high risk of a series of several related terrorist attacks in the country, including using “unconventional” methods. When this threat level is announced, the authorities allow the relevant agencies to use measures that limit social activities to prevent possible terrorist attacks.