Armed police will shadow Manchester United’s team bus on Brussels streets — supported by snipers and helicopters in the wake of ISIS threats to kill footballers after Dortmund coach attack
MANCHESTER United will brave Europe’s terror capital amid huge security following an ISIS threat to kill footballers and celebrities.
A letter left at the scene of Tuesday’s triple bomb attack on Borussia Dortmund’s team bus warned “crusader” sports idols and celebs are now on a death list.
Jose Mourinho’s men have unprecedented protection for their Europa League clash with Anderlecht in Brussels.
Armed police will shadow Manchester United’s team bus on Brussels streets — supported by snipers and helicopters.
Security services have launched a major operation to protect the Red Devils as they flew into the Belgian capital for their Europa League quarter-final with Anderlecht.
Brussels became notorious as the nerve centre of the terrorists’ European network after cells based there launched attacks in the city and in Paris, which killed 162.
Security teams have already been seen carrying out special bomb checks on United’s coach in recent weeks.
And the vehicle will be shielded by unprecedented rings of security as it heads for tonight’s tie at the 26,000-seater Constant Vanden Stock Stadium.
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United, with their vast global fan- base and star players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, are viewed as a high-value target for jihadi maniacs.
Asked about security concerns in the wake of the Dortmund attack nearly 170 miles away, team boss Jose Mourinho said last night: “There is solidarity with what happened. We have to trust the people working for our security.”
A 28-year-old suspect was arrested near Dusseldorf over the Dortmund attack yesterday — but a second known Islamist also being sought had fled.
Police said players from the German club cheated death, revealing three bombs fired at them from the roadside were packed with metal pins. One was found embedded in a bus seat headrest.
Dortmund’s Marc Bartra, 26, was injured by glass and shrapnel in the assault, which saw the game with Monaco rearranged for last night.
Anti-terror investigators were yesterday hunting a car with Belgian registration plates seen near the German team’s hotel before the pipe bomb blasts — set off by remote control.
Written in German, the note at the scene of the attack warned sports stars were now being targeted.
TV broadcasters, critics of Islamist groups and outspoken showbiz stars from Western “crusader nations” are also feared to be in ISIS crosshairs.
German media sources said the letter began, “In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful” and set out two clear demands.
It called on Germany to withdraw Tornado reconnaissance jets from Syria and for the closure of the US base in Ramstein, which controls drones in the IS war zone.
The note accused German aircraft of being involved in the assassination of Muslims in ISIS’s self-styled caliphate in Syria and Iraq.
Police were yesterday attempting to trace the source of the letter, found close to the L’Arrivee Hotel and Spa, where the Dortmund team were based before the game.
Prosecutor Frauke Koehle said: “Two suspects from the Islamist spectrum have become the focus of our investigation. Their apartments were searched.”
The suspect, arrested 30 miles from Dortmund, is said to have Middle Eastern roots.
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