Police Take Precautionary Measures in Response to Fire in Czech Republic

Bratislava, 20 March (TASR) - The Slovak police have taken preventive measures to strengthen security in Slovakia in response to a fire in the town of Pardubice in the Czech Republic, they posted on social media, assuring the public that they are currently not aware of any specific threat. "The Police Corps is taking the incident in the Czech Republic, specifically in Pardubice, with the utmost seriousness and is in contact with both the Czech police and other foreign partners as part of international police cooperation. In response to this situation, appropriate preventive measures have been taken to strengthen security within the territory of the Slovak Republic," stated the police. They added that intensive cooperation is also underway with other state security bodies to ensure the timely identification of any potential security risks. "At present, we haven't recorded or identified any connection between this incident and the territory of the Slovak Republic. Based on the information gathered so far and currently being evaluated, none of it indicates a specific threat to the territory of the Slovak Republic," they wrote, adding that the police aren't underestimating the situation and are prepared to take further appropriate measures immediately if necessary. The Slovak police added that, according to the information available so far, the Czech authorities are investigating the circumstances of the fire, with one of the lines of inquiry being arson. "At the same time, information has been reported from public sources regarding a possible claim of responsibility by a specific group for this act, the credibility of which is currently being verified. At this stage, it is crucial to work exclusively with verified information and avoid speculation," they noted. The Czech police are investigating reports that a specific group of people intentionally set fire to an industrial hall in Pardubice, which burned down early Friday morning. According to media reports, the group describes itself as an international organisation and links its actions to the war in the Gaza Strip. am