PARIS, Dec 24: As people in much of the world were putting the finishing touches to Christmas preparations on Tuesday, fears that extremists would use the festive season to target last-minute shoppers dampened the holiday spirit.

Moscow police said they had arrested two Chechen men armed with explosives, while news agencies said the men were detained near a shopping mall packed with crowds of shoppers stocking up for the festive season.

The agencies quoted police as saying that the men had been armed with explosives-packed belts of the kind used by suicide bombers, although it was not clear whether the devices were ready to be used.

Russian police have stepped up security around Moscow since Chechen rebels seized a theatre in October taking more than 800 people hostage.

Concern has risen across Europe in recent weeks that the al-Qaeda network may be planning bomb attacks during the holiday season in Western cities, teeming with visiting tourists.

In the United States, The Federal Bureau of Investigation called for heightened vigilance among the country’s citizens, reminding them of the risk of possible terror attacks and maintaining the state of alert at “elevated.”

“We are calling the public to remain vigilant and be aware of their surroundings as we have since Sept 11, 2001,” said FBI spokeswoman Debbie Weierman, asking people to heed any suspicious individuals or packages.

In Israeli-occupied Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ, tanks and troops withdrew from the center of the town to allow Christmas celebrations in the war-shattered community to go ahead.—AFP