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Brazil warns over "lone wolf" terrorist attacks at Rio Olympics

Xinhua, March 3, 2016 Adjust font size:

Brazil's security forces warned on Wednesday about possible "lone wolf" terrorist attacks during the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in August.

Local authorities fear the behavior of "radicals" during the Games and Brazil's lack of experience with terrorism, the director of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency's (ABIN) Anti-terrorist Department, Luiz Sallaberry, told national public news agency Agencia Brasil.

"For that reason, now there is a little higher threat level for the Olympic Games. We have radicalized people in Brazil that are nationals and they identify with this type of organization," said Sallaberry, in reference to the Islamic terrorist groups.

There is risk that terrorists from other countries could enter Brazil legally or illegally. Their arrival could go unnoticed, when hundreds of thousands of foreigners will be arriving in the country to for the Games, according to Sallaberry.

On Wednesday, Brazil's security forces participated in a conference along with authorities in Brazil's capital city of Brasilia to alert the public about possible terrorist threats during the Olympics.

"We want to raise awareness so that the people can immediately adopt a determined stance against a threat," explained General Mauro Sinott Lopes, responsible for the Armed Forces' Terrorist Combat Group, who also spoke at the conference.

Only a few days ago, Brazil's lower house approved a law that classifies terrorism as a crime and anyone caught to provoke social terror will face between 12 and 30 years in prison. Endit