Spain, like other European countries, has chosen to strengthen its security, especially with regard to terrorist attacks.

The Ministry of Interior has announced the implementation of several additional security measures, which raise the alert level to 4 (out of a total of 5).

This decision was issued after the meeting of the competent terrorist threat assessment committee chaired by the Minister of Interior.

The measures include the strengthening of security devices at certain sensitive points across the national territory, the increase of anti-terrorist measures by the security forces, additional surveillance measures on vital infrastructure, and coordination of cyber surveillance measures. The situation will be reassessed every week.

Spain has not ceased to be on high alert in terms of security and the fight against terrorism and the 5 levels of anti-terrorist alert were introduced in the country for the first time on 9 March 2005 as a consequence of the terrorist attacks that took place in Madrid on 11 March 2004.

At the same time, an exercise was held yesterday morning in a Jewish school in Rome, which focused on building evacuation operations. The school is located on the banks of the Tiber, in the district where the ghetto of the Jewish community of Rome was built, and has kept the same name (Jewish Ghetto).

Initially, many residents of the area feared that the school might have received a bomb threat and for this reason, an immediate decision was made to evacuate.

The Jewish Community of Rome, however, made it known that it was a precautionary exercise, which had been thoroughly planned over the past few days.

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