Security Alert at NATO Air Base in Germany Due to Report of Potential Terrorist Action

The security level at the NATO air base in Gilenkirchen, Germany, was raised on Thursday due to a "potential threat"; the base spokesperson stated that the likelihood of a terrorist act against NATO has been assessed as very high. The increase in security at the NATO base in Europe comes as NATO had previously warned about hostile activities from Russia, including sabotage and cyberattacks. Russia has consistently accused NATO of threatening its security. This is the second time in recent weeks that the Gilenkirchen air base, which hosts NATO surveillance aircraft, has raised its security level. Last week, the base received a report of an unauthorized entry attempt, which led to a complete inspection of the premises. On the same day, following concerns of sabotage in the water supply system of another military base near Cologne, that base was temporarily closed. However, after investigations, the German army announced that the drinking water at the Cologne base was not contaminated. The NATO Secretary-General stated in June of this year that this Western military alliance is exposed to attacks related to Russian intelligence activities. In recent years, several incidents on NATO soil, including the severing of a vital submarine cable in 2022, have been reported by suspicious analysts.