Euro 2016 possible IS target, German spy chief warns

The head of Germany's domestic intelligence agency has said the Islamic State group [IS] is likely planning attacks at the Euro 2016 football championships, which will kick off next month in France.

Hans-Georg Maassen said on Friday that IS has Euro 2016 "in its sights", echoing recent warnings from France's spymaster that the militant group are gearing up to attack large crowds in France.

Euro 2016 begins on June 10 and will run for a month at 10 stadiums across France.

"We know that IS has the European Championships in its sights," Maassen told local media in an interview.

"We currently have no evidence of concrete plans for an attack. But there is relatively strong 'background noise' that IS and the al-Qaeda-affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra want to carry out attacks against Western targets," he added.

Last week, France's spy chief, Patrick Calvar, said his country currently is "clearly targeted" by IS which could launch a "terrorist campaign" of bombings in places where big crowds gather.

"We know that [IS] is planning new attacks - using fighters in the area, taking routes which facilitate access to our territory - and that France is clearly targeted," Calvar said.

IS terrorists last year killed 130 people in coordinated assaults on cafes, bars, a football stadium and a music hall in Paris.

Around 2.5 million spectators are expected to attend Euro 2016. There will also be "fan zones" for crowds watching games on big screens in major cities.

IS killed 16 Iraqi fans of Spanish football giants Real Madrid in an attack on a cafe this month.

In March, at least 41 people - many of them children - were killed and over 100 others injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowd after a local football game in Baghdad.