German Carnival Called Off over Threat of 'Islamist Terror Attack'

A parade in the city of Braunschweig, Northern Germany, has been canceled due to a terror alert.

The spectacular event was due to begin at 12:20 local time (11:20 GMT), but "reliable state sources" became aware of a "concrete threat", according to DW.

Braunschweig's mayor announced the decision just hours before the opening, with authorities citing a threat with an "Islamist background".

As many as 250 000 people had been expected to attend the so-called Schoduvel carnival, the biggest one in Germany's northern provinces.

This follows Saturday's incidents in Danish capital Copenhagen, where a man died in an attack at a downtown cafeteria and another was killed in a synagogue, with police saying the two episodes were interlinked. The first attack had happened in a venue where Lars Vilks, a Swedish cartoonist who had sparked controversy over cartoonist of Prophet Muhammad, had organized an event about freedom of speech.

However, police say no connection has been established between the alert in Braunschweig and the Copenhagen attacks.