Italy joined France on Monday in raising its security alert level following the  attack on a suburban Moscow concert hall for which an affiliate of the Islamic State group claimed responsibility.

The decision was reached during a national security council meeting in Rome on Monday, bolstered security is planned for the various events this week ahead of the Christian Easter religious holiday this weekend.

Pope Francis has a busy schedule of events in Rome and at the Vatican in the days leading up to Easter Sunday.

"Both surveillance and checks will be increased, paying the most attention to the places of greatest aggregation and transit of people, as well as sensitive targets," Italy's Interior Ministry said in a statement.

France had taken the same step on Sunday, saying it found the Afghan branch of the Islamic State (ISIS-K) claiming responsibility for the attack in Moscow plausible. President Emmanuel Macron said the group "also tried to commit several actions on our own soil." 

The attackrenewed attention in Europe on the risk from the extremists as the continent gears up for big events such as the Paris Olympics and the European Championship in Germany.

In Germany, Interior Ministry spokesperson Cornelius Funke said the threat from Islamic extremists "remains acute" but authorities' risk
assessment hadn't changed so far as a result of the Moscow attack..

ssa/msh (AP, Reuters)