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Italy to ban drones amid Jubilee terror threat

The Local Italy
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Italy to ban drones amid Jubilee terror threat
Isis has made several threats agains the Vatican. Photo: Filippo Monteforte/AFP

Airspace over Rome will be closed-off to drones during the upcoming Catholic Holy Year, or Jubilee, over fears that the remote-controlled aircraft could be used by the Isis militant group in a terror attack.

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Italy has tightened security in the wake of the Paris attacks on Friday night, which killed 129 people.

Some 700 extra troops have been deployed onto Rome’s streets to combat the threat of militants while security has been tightened at Italy’s borders and airports across the country.

Several threats against the capital and the Vatican have been made via the Isis group’s propaganda magazine, ‘Dabiq’, and on social media.

Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said in parliament on Monday that particular attention is being paid to the risk of an attack during the Jubilee, which gets underway on December 8th, “from the air, using drones” .

The year-long event is expected to bring millions of Catholic pilgrims to Rome.

As well as closing-off airspace over Rome to drones, Alfano said that security checkpoints would be set up at St Peter’s square.

Italy had already been on heightened alert since an Isis video earlier this year warned that Libya could be used as a springboard for attacks in the country.

Prime Minister Matteo Renzi also said on Monday that the government was looking to boost funding for security in its next 'stability bill', which is currently working its way through parliament. 

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