“Real chance” of terrorist attacks in the Netherlands; Threat level now “significant”
The terrorist threat level was increased to the second-highest point on Tuesday, with a warning of a “real chance” of an attack, the National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism (NCTV) wrote in a report. The threat level was increased to its highest point in over four years.

The threat assessment system used by the NCTV is a scale rising from the least severe first level, to the most severe fifth level. The NCTV raised the alert from level three, dubbed “significant,” to level four, called “substantial.

The amount of known appeals for attacks issued by jihadist organizations has increased, partly due to the escalation in conflict in the Middle East and the destruction of copies of the Quran which have been set on fire in various countries. Recent attacks in neighboring countries show that these calls are also being heeded, the NCTV stated.

The threat level jumped from level two to level four in early 2013. It remained in that position until Dutch authorities lowered the assessment down to level three, where a threat is considered “conceivable.” This happened at the end of 2019. The organization wrote that “extra security measures” have recently been implemented, but the NCTV did not elaborate about them.