Amid unprecedented security measures, wide protests over the controversial labor law and the declaration of a state of natural disasters in about 800 French towns, the Euro 2016 football championship is to kick off on Friday, a much-awaited sports event that always draws millions of soccer fans from inside and outside France.

Some 1.5 million tickets have been already sold as French authorities expect the event to draw eight million fans to watch 51 football matches that will be held in ten stadiums in ten French cities.

But the latest terrorist attacks in France and continued threats of gun attacks, remotely detonated bombs and even drones carrying explosives and chemical weapons forced French authorities to step up security in all French cities, especially in areas hosting Euro 2016 events, in anticipation of possible terrorist attack.

Just days before the championship kicks off, Ukraine security services said they had arrested a Frenchman and an accomplice who were planning attacks on French targets before and during the tournament.

Also, the U.S. State Department has issued a warning about a potential terror risk associated the tournament, and on Wednesday, British Prime Minister David Cameron in parliament described the threat at the event as "severe.

France's security plan includes extending the state of emergency which was introduced after the terror attacks in Paris last November, until the end of July. It gives police greater powers of house arrest and allows for demonstrations and rallies to be banned.

More than 90,000 French security forces will be deployed to safeguard match venues, fan zones where supporters will be able to watch games on giant outdoor screens, and in other areas where fans will congregate.

They will include 42,000 police, 30,000 gendarmes as well as many of the 10,000 soldiers in combat fatigues currently patrolling the country in the anti-terrorism protection plan known as Operation Sentinelle. More than 13,000 private security guards have been employed.

Metal detectors, video surveillance, sniffer dogs and a large police presence are among the security precautions for the zones; fans will not be allowed to bring in large bags.

The bases of the 24 competing countries will be heavily guarded and have been declared no-fly zones, as have the stadiums.

Authorities have also introduced technology around venues that's designed to take control of and divert suspect drones rather than destroy them.

Also, The French Interior Ministry has launched an app called #SAIP -- a French acronym for Alert and Information System for the Public -- to alert users to any possible terror attacks or incidents nearby.

The app will give "behavioral advice" and "instructions adapted to the nature of the alert," the ministry explained on Twitter.

There are many terrorist scenarios for what might happen during the event ranging from suicide bombs to a staged chemical and biological gas attack on revelers in a football fan zone.

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said the exact nature of any risk to the Euro tournament, other than the general terrorist threat that still weighs on France, remains unclear. 

The Euro 2016 will be the 15th edition of the UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international men's football championship of Europe organized by UEFA. It will run till July 10.

France was chosen as the host nation on May 28, 2010, after a bidding process in which they beat Italy and Turkey for the right to host the 2016 finals. 

The matches will be played in ten stadiums in ten cities: Bordeaux, Lens, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Paris, Saint-Denis, Saint-Étienne, and Toulouse. 

It will be the third time that France hosts the tournament, after the inaugural tournament in 1960 and the 1984 finals. The French team have won the European Championship twice: in 1984 and 2000.

The winning team earns the right to compete at the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup hosted by Russia.

Source : MENA