NATO has raised the security level at its air base in the western German town of Geilenkirchen to the second-highest level, Charlie, following intelligence reports of a potential threat.
The security level for NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen was upped on Thursday in response to an undisclosed threat and remained in effect on Friday.
As a precautionary measure, all employees who are not needed for the operation of the base north of Aachen have been sent home, according to base spokesman Christian Brett.
“It’s pretty empty here,” he said on Friday.
An all-clear has been given after things remained quiet overnight, according to Brett, who said he believes that normal safety precautions will be resumed during the course of the day and that security level Charlie will be downgraded to Bravo again.
Flight operations from the base are continuing as planned in the meantime, he said.
Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft take off and land five days a week at the air base located along the German border with the Netherlands and close to Belgium.
NATO has stationed 14 AWACS aircraft at the base. There are two to three AWACS flights per day from Monday to Friday.
Brett said the decision to raise the security level on Thursday evening was based on intelligence information indicating a potential threat but declined to provide any further information about the nature or circumstances surrounding the increased security.
He did, however, reject speculation about possible drone overflights at the air base: “That’s absurd.”
Flying over the base is prohibited for unauthorized aircraft and the airspace is closely monitored. “Nothing has flown over here,” Brett said.
In NATO terms, security level Charlie means that there has been an incident or that there is evidence suggesting a high likelihood of terrorist action against the alliance.
The spokesman said that there was no cause for concern and it was purely a precautionary measure to ensure the continuity of critical operations. He added, however, that such a threat level was unusual and hadn’t happened at the Geilenkirchen base in years.
According to Brett, around 1,600 people work at the base, but a significant number of staff are currently away on holidays. Around half of the remaining employees are now at home due to the warning level, although many are still working.
Meanwhile, police in Cologne, the nearest large city located about 70 kilometres to the east, confirmed an ongoing operation related to the air base.
A police spokesman said on Friday that local police were in contact with the relevant national security and judicial authorities as well as security forces at the NATO base in Geilenkirchen.
He said that police forces are supporting the security measures for the air base, which are being coordinated by the international military police stationed there.
No further details could be given due to the ongoing investigation, the Cologne police spokesman said.
About a week ago, German military bases went on heightened alert after damaged fences near drinking water supplies close to two facilities raised concerns about potential sabotage.
However, those concerns were dismissed and an all-clear was given after an investigation by police and security services found no evidence of problems.
There is no indication that the heightened alert at Geilenkirchen is related to the previous incidents at German bases.
Security sources told dpa that suspicious observations were also made in Geilenkirchen, and that someone in the vicinity of the airport has since been taken into custody for questioning.
The sources said suspicions against the detained person had not been confirmed.
