THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The Dutch Defense Ministry is advising military personnel not to wear their uniforms on public transport, as fears mount that the country could be targeted by radical Muslims.
Spokeswoman Marloes Visser said Thursday the decision was taken Wednesday evening — around the time that the government announced it will send six F-16 fighter jets to launch air strikes on the Islamic State terror group.
Announcing the deployment, Dutch Deputy Prime Minister Lodewijk Asscher acknowledged that the Dutch role in the fight against Islamic State brings risks.
Asscher said: “The Netherlands will gain a higher profile among jihadis. We are ready.”
The terror threat level in the Netherlands is currently “substantial,” the second highest of four levels used by the country’s anti-terror coordinator.
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