US warns of possible attacks in Europe

                       

Washington - The United States warned its citizens on Tuesday about possible terrorist attacks during local summer in Europe, saying targets could include the European Football Championship in France, although a US official has said there are no information on any specific threat.

Concern about security on the continent has increased since the November 13 attacks in Paris, which left 130 dead, and Belgium on 22 March, when two suicide bombers if detonated in the Brussels airport and a third on the subway, killing 32 people.

"We are alerting US citizens to the potential risk of terrorist attacks across Europe to major events, sights, restaurants, shopping centers and transportation system," said US State Department in an alert trip worth until August 31.

The Department shall issue such notices routinely for individual countries and sometimes for an entire continent or the world as a whole, even when it has information of specific threats against particular targets.

The last warning for Europe was issued on March 22 in the wake of the attacks in Brussels.

A US official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the State Department has no specific risks of information giving rise to the latest travel warning for Europe.

"The large number of tourists visiting Europe in the summer months will represent major targets for terrorists who are planning attacks in public places, especially in big events," said State Department travel warning Tuesday.

The warning reminded that France will host Euro 2016 between June 10 and July 10 and noted that the country has extended its state of emergency, adopted after the end of the attacks last year, until July 26 to include the Tour de France cycling competition that takes place between 2 and 24 July.

"The stadiums of Euro, entertainment venues that will broadcast the tournament in France and throughout Europe represent potential targets for terrorists, as well as other sporting events, large-scale and local public meetings across Europe," said Department States.

The agency also said that the World Youth Day of the Catholic Church should attract up to 2.5 million people in Krakow, Poland, between 26 and 31 July and that local infrastructure can become overloaded with the number of visitors.