Isis has issued a terror threat to fans attending the World Cup, urging its terrorists to set stadiums on fire and start stampedes.
Followers of the Islamist group have been encouraged to visit stadiums throughout the US and inflict pain upon football fans.
The message read: “You, O mujahid, have a full month to monitor gatherings and launch attacks, for the unbridled hordes of infidels throng the streets and stands teem with them.
“Wherever you strike, you will inflict pain, and wherever you plant, you will cause harm.”
They were also called to cause chaos within stadiums through fires or car rammings.
“You knife has drawn blood, and wherever you have hit with your car, you have caused a stampede,” it continued.
“Imagine that you have succeeded in starting a fire in the stands to cause a massive stampede that will kill hundreds of people from the nation of the Trinity and atheism? It is an idea worth implementing.”
The chilling message followed a graphic posted by a pro-Isis group which threatened American Pope Leo XIV and called on football stadiums in Mexico to be targeted.
FBI were in place ahead of Iran’s first game against New Zealand
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This year’s tournament has been one of the most fortified in the history of the World Cup.
England’s training camp, for example, is said to have been protected by several layers of security.
This includes a strict no-fly zone, enforced to guard against potential drone attacks, with security monitored around the clock.
Armed police officers, security personnel and private guards regularly patrol the Three Lions’ home base in Prairie Village, Kansas.
Police have regularly monitored games for the World Cup
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One member of federal law enforcement admitted to The Guardian the scale of the tournament “alarmed” security officials.
“It will be hard to control, given the environment and the number of locations of matches and watch parties across the United States. There is a very real possibility that something bad will happen,” they admitted.
This year’s World Cup, the largest in history, spanning six weeks, has required an unprecedented level of security.
Despite that, only the final – played in what has been renamed the New York New Jersey Stadium for the duration of the World Cup – will be designated a “national special security event” (NSSE).
Robot security dogs were in place for games in Mexico
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This designation puts the US Secret Service directly in control of planning, coordination, and implementation of security operations, with the FBI in charge of intelligence and counterterrorism operations, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) readied for evacuations.
Some games in Mexico have also had a unique security feature in place – robot dogs.
The artificial canines are assist with patrolling operations, and were manufactured by tournament sponsor Hyundai Motor Company.
Footage of the machines has shown them moving on all fours, with some even dancing during demonstrations.
