Just hours after the French president, François Hollande, announced that France has extended its state of emergency in fear of further terrorist attacks, the U.S. State Department issued a travel alert for Europe.
Cautioning Americans to be weary in attending high-profile events scheduled to take place throughout Europe, the State Department released a statement saying that as American tourists flood Europe they “will present greater targets for terrorists planning attacks in public locations.”
The U.S. State Department further added that Hollande has warned that terrorism remains the biggest threat to the UEFA Euro 2016 football championship, which is scheduled in June and July and that the extended state of emergency will last through July 26 in order to cover both the championship and the Tour de France.
In the announcement, department officials reiterated Hollande’s stance, saying: “Euro Cup stadiums, fan zones, and unaffiliated entertainment venues broadcasting the tournaments in France and across Europe represent potential targets for terrorists, as do other large-scale sporting events and public gathering places throughout Europe.”
“We are alerting U.S. citizens to the risk of potential terrorist attacks throughout Europe, targeting major events, tourist sites, restaurants, commercial centers and transportation,” State Department officials wrote.
The alert also covered other events that are expected to attract millions of tourists and become prime targets for terror attacks. They mentioned the Catholic church’s World Youth Day, which will take place from July 26 in Krakow, and is expected to draw a crowd of around 2.5 million visitors.
Previously the U.S. State Department issued a global travel alert, following the terrorist attacks last November and March in Paris and Brussels. The alerts are generally issued to urge citizens traveling abroad to “exercise vigilance when in public places or using mass transportation.”
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