Spain’s terror threat has been heightened to “severe”, sparking new warnings for Irish tourists.
Madrid’s home office has put Operation Summer into place, which will see 40,000 police deployed in holidaymaker hotspots amid reported ISIS threats, Dublin Live reports.
Transport hubs, beaches, hotels and restaurants will see increased security until the end of the peak holiday season.
Officers are on hand to deal with any trouble amid claims terror group ISIS have issued threats to tourist spots.
Among the most popular destinations for Irish visitors include Benidorm, Alicante, the Costa del Sol, Barcelona and the capital Madrid.
Spain’s terror threat level was bumped up to four out of five and the Department of Foreign Affairs says the danger is considered to be “high”.
The dfa.ie website says: “There is a general threat from terrorism in Europe, and the threat in Spain is considered to be high.
“While there is a risk of indiscriminate attacks, targets could include areas frequented by tourists.” In August 2017, 16 people were killed in two related terrorist attacks in the Las Ramblas area of Barcelona and in the town of Cambrils, approximately 100km away.
More than 100 people, including several Irish tourists, were also injured when Islamist extremists deliberately targeted pedestrians with vehicles.
Operation Summer aims to “take full action to obtain information in order to prevent terrorist acts”.
Sources said it also aims at “reinforcing security measures at events and places that will attract a large number of people”.
Recent reports in Spain claim Benidorm, Barcelona and Madrid have all been threatened by ISIS.
