France Heightens Security Alert to Maximum Following Moscow Attack

In response to the recent terrorist attack near Moscow, France has heightened its Vigipirate security alert to the highest level, "attack emergency," as announced on Sunday, March 24. The decision, made during a defense council meeting at the Elysée, is in direct reaction to the Islamic State's claim of responsibility for the attack and the perceived threats against France, explained government spokesperson Gabriel Attal on the social platform X.

After the tragic incident in Moscow, which claimed at least 137 lives at a concert hall on Friday and was later claimed by the jihadist group Islamic State (IS), the French President convened an emergency National Defense and Security Council.

Gabriel Attal shared on X: “Following the claim by the Islamic State for the Moscow attack and considering the threats facing our country, we've decided to escalate our security measures.”

While Moscow has yet to directly attribute Friday’s attack to IS, preferring to suggest a Ukrainian involvement, the French government is taking no chances, especially in light of IS's known threats towards France and its history of planning attacks within Europe, including in Germany and France.

To coordinate the heightened security efforts, the Prime Minister's office announced a scheduled meeting involving all security services affected by the upgrade of the Vigipirate level. This action marks a significant shift from the previously lowered alert state in January, which was at level 2, indicating "enhanced security - risk of attack."