NATO airbase in Germany raises security level due to 'potential threat'

(Patria) - The NATO airbase in the German city of Geilenkirchen raised its security level "based on intelligence information indicating a potential threat," it was announced late Thursday.

"All non-essential personnel have been sent home as a precautionary measure," the base said in a statement on social media platform X, without providing details.

"The safety of our personnel is our top priority. Operations continue as planned," they added, as reported by Reuters.

A base spokesperson said the threat level was raised to Charlie, the second-highest of four alert states, defined as "an incident (that) has occurred or intelligence has been received indicating that some form of terrorist action against NATO organizations or personnel is highly likely."

This was the second time the base, which houses NATO's AWACS surveillance aircraft fleet, raised its security level following an incident last week when a military base in nearby Cologne was temporarily closed while authorities investigated possible sabotage of the water supply.

On the same day, the Geilenkirchen base reported an attempted intrusion that led to a complete evacuation of the premises. Regarding the suspected sabotage at the Cologne base, the German military later said test results showed the tap water was not contaminated.

NATO has previously warned of a campaign of hostile activities orchestrated by Russia, including acts of sabotage and cyber attacks. Russia regularly accuses NATO of threatening its security.

In June, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the Western military alliance had observed a developing pattern and that recent attacks were the result of increasingly active Russian intelligence services.

In recent years, analysts have treated several incidents on NATO territory as suspicious, including the severing of a vital submarine cable connecting Svalbard to mainland Norway in 2022.