O holy night? Security is heightened at church services at major cities across the world to prevent another terror attack

Safety was heightened at church companies in main cities the world over this night in a bid to stop an incident just like the lethal truck assault on a Christmas market in Berlin.

Armed cops stood exterior the well-known Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris as worshippers arrived for the Christmas Eve mass within the French capital.

Officers had been seen patting folks down and finishing up searches earlier than they entered the 600-year-old constructing.

In France, Britain and Germany police elevated their presence at vacationer spots in main cities and different densely populated areas.

French officers stopped worshippers and searched them on the entrance of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Christmas Eve

An armed police officer stands guard close to the Notre Dame Cathedral as worshippers arrive for the Christmas Eve mass 

Two officers had been photographed speaking to one another exterior the well-known cathedral within the coronary heart of Paris on Saturday night time

Palestinian presidential safety personnel gathered in entrance of the Church of Nativity, which is accepted by Christians because the birthplace of Jesus Christ, in Bethlehem, on Christmas Eve

The armed officers soar from a jeep as they're deployed at Manger Sq. in Bethlehem, on Christmas Eve on Saturday

It comes after Anis Amri, a 24-year-old Tunisian suspected of finishing up the truck assault which killed 12 folks, was shot lifeless in a city close to Milan early on Friday after he pulled a gun on police throughout a routine verify.

In France, the place Islamist militants killed 130 folks in taking pictures and bomb assaults in Paris in November 2015, authorities mentioned greater than 91,00zero policemen and troopers could be deployed, with further safety measures being enforced at church buildings.

In the meantime, armed guards patrolled the world round a church as Christians attended a Christmas Eve service in Bartalla, close to Mosul, Iraq.

The officers had been carrying camouflaged uniforms and had been armed as they saved guard to supply safety to worshippers on Saturday. 

And Palestinian presidential safety personnel gathered in entrance of the Church of Nativity, which is accepted by Christians because the birthplace of Jesus Christ, in Bethlehem, on Christmas Eve.

In the meantime, the UK is on its second-highest menace degree, which means an assault by militants is taken into account extremely seemingly.

Law enforcement officials inspected folks's baggage on the entrance of the Cologne Cathedral in Cologne, Germany, on Christmas Eve 

An Iraqi safety member stands guard as Christians attend a Christmas Eve service on the Mar Shimoni church within the city of Bartalla close to Mosul

Iraqi safety forces stand guard as Christians attended a Christmas Eve service on the Mar Shimoni church close to Mosul

Italian cops stand guard at a safety check-point in a central avenue of Rome on Christmas Eve following the Berlin assault 

Pope Francis (pictured) leads the Christmas night time Mass in Saint Peter's Basilica on the Vatican December 24

Pope Francis kisses a statue of child Jesus as he leads the Christmas night time Mass in Saint Peter's Basilica on the Vatican

Police there have elevated safety at quite a lot of in style vacationer points of interest, together with round Queen Elizabeth's London residence, Buckingham Palace. 

Rome authorities have banned vans or vehicles from getting into the town centre and anti-terror police carrying masks and wielding machine weapons arrange roadblocks on routes resulting in well-known vacationer websites or areas the place crowds historically collect.

On the Vatican, the place Pope Francis was as a consequence of have fun Christmas Eve Mass in St. Peter's basilica on Saturday night, police vehicles and army jeeps stood about each 100 metres alongside streets resulting in the Vatican.

Safety was additionally stepped up in central Milan and different Italian cities, notably close to main church buildings the place the devoted had been attending Christmas companies.

Turkish police verify the grounds of the Saint Anthony of Padua Church previous to the beginning of the Christmas Eve mass in Istanbul

A Turkish safety officer checks the purse of a girl a she enters Saint Anthony of Padua Church previous to the beginning of the Christmas Eve mass

A Pakistani safety officer stands guard exterior the Saint Anthony's church throughout a midnight service on Christmas eve in Lahore, Pakistan

Youngsters had been photographed making an attempt to seize ornaments from a tree within the previous metropolis of Damascus, Syria, on Christmas Eve

Individuals took selfie pictures close to a Christmas tree exterior the state-approved Xuanwumen Catholic Church, in any other case often known as the South Cathedral in Beijing

Individuals gathered close to a Christmas tree near broken buildings throughout Christmas Eve within the Al-Hamidiyah neighbourhood within the metropolis of Homs, Syria

Individuals participated at a Christmas Eve mass in Despatched Antuan church, the most important church of the Roman Catholic Church in Istanbul

 

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