Brazil Raises Terrorist Threat Level for 2016 Olympics After Paris Attacks

Rio De Janeiro (PNA/TASS) — Brazil has raised the terrorist threat level for the Summer Olympic Games it will host in 2016 following the recent terror attacks in Paris, said Luiz Alberto Sallaberry, the director of the counter-terrorism department at the Brazilian Intelligence Agency.

“We have no terrorist cells, but there are certain people who can lend assistance to such groups or aid logistically,” he said in an interview with Brazilian news portal G1 on Thursday.

He said the Intelligence Agency was closely monitoring these “lone wolfs” who “don’t belong to a terrorist group, but share the ideology of Jihad and have contacts.”

“We are to host the Olympic Games (from August 5 to 21, 2016), bringing together athletes, high-ranking guests and fans from countries that have become priority targets for terrorists – all this increases the level of threat,” the counter-terrorism director said.

He said Brazil secret services had timely uncovered terrorist plans for the World Cup it hosted last year thus disrupted them. “Luckily, such incidents were few,” he added.

Seventeen people were killed in an attack at Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine and a kosher supermarket in Paris last week. (PNA/TASS) FFC/RSM