Germany deploys 22,000 police to thwart terrorist and hooligan threats

Today (06/14) marks the start of the European football championship. It's a celebration for football fans and a huge organizational challenge. Germany wants to ensure all fans enjoy top-level, safe entertainment.

For this reason, the state has already declared a terrorist alert. The newspaper "The Sun" obtained information that 22,000 heavily armed officers will protect today's match between Germany and Scotland (the game opens the tournament at 3:00 PM ET).

The opening match will be protected by 22,000 police officers, including snipers and observers. This is due to the threat from ISIS terrorists, explained security expert Will Geddes in an interview with "The Sun".

It's known that the crowd will be monitored using special thermal imaging cameras. Special services are also monitoring ISIS activity on social media and infiltrating this terrorist organization's communications.

According to Geddes, ISIS has made "very specific references" to Germany. The terrorists have repeatedly mentioned disrupting the Euro, Champions League matches, or the upcoming Olympics in Paris.

"The Sun" reports that authorities are also observing hooligan activity. They are monitoring the plans of pseudo-fans from Germany, Serbia, Hungary, and England. Earlier, the English media wrote that securing the Serbia vs. England match would be a challenge for the authorities.

These groups of fans are at odds with each other, and "The Guardian" journalists reported that German police are watching the plans of particularly fierce Serbians who might attack the English.

Hanover police revealed that officers are prepared for any threat, even the most abstract one.