Netherlands terrorism threat level unchanged after foiled attack

The terrorism threat level in the Netherlands remains substantial at 4 on a scale of 5 after the arrest of seven suspected terrorists on Friday, the national coordinator for counter terrorism and security NCTV said, RTL Nieuws reports.

The arrest of the seven suspected terrorists "fits in with the current threat assessment", according to the NCTV. "In the Netherlands too, jihadist networks are operating with the intention to plan attacks in Europe. [Thursday's] arrests must be seen in that light."

The threat level in the Netherlands has been at 4 for a long time. That means that there is a real chance of a terrorist attack in the country, but that the authorities have no concrete indications that one is being planned.

The seven suspects were arrested in Arnhem and Weert on Thursday afternoon. They were in an "advanced" stage of planning to commit a terrorist attack at a large event in the Netherlands, the police said. The plot involved detonating bombs at a big event, then attacking the site with AK-47 gunfire. Following that, a car bomb would be detonated. What event they targeted, was not revealed.