BERLIN: Three suspected Islamic extremists have been arrested in Germany on suspicion of preparing “serious acts of violence”, and an assault rifle and a knife have also been seized, authorities said on Tuesday.
On Sunday, police raided the homes of two German-Lebanese brothers, aged 15 and 20, living in the city of Mannheim and a 22-year-old German-Turkish man living in the Hochtaunus district of Hesse.
German media reported plans to attack Christmas markets in Frankfurt or Mannheim.
Local prosecutors and police said in a statement that the planned action could “endanger the nation” but did not provide further details.
Germany has faced a series of attacks and plots by suspected Islamists in recent years and has been on high alert since Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, sparked the war in the Gaza Strip. is laid down.
The brothers held in Mannheim had a “strong religious ideology and deep sympathies” with Daesh and had made concrete preparations for the attack, authorities said.
The assault rifle and ammunition were reportedly discovered during a search of the home of a 22-year-old German-Turkish man. Several knives, a balaclava and a mobile phone were also recovered during the search.
However, officials stressed that “there was no concrete danger to the public at any time.” The suspects are in pretrial detention.
Roman Posek, Hesse’s interior minister, praised law enforcement authorities for making the arrest “in good time, before any action was taken.”
“At the same time, it is once again clear that the security situation is tense,” Posek added.
Germany has recently experienced a spate of knife attacks that are believed to be motivated by Islamists.
In August, three people were killed and eight others injured in a stabbing at a street festival in the western city of Solingen.
Police have arrested a Syrian suspect in an attack claimed by IS.
In June, a police officer was killed in a knife attack in Mannheim, and an Afghan national was detained as the main suspect.
The ouster of President Bashar al-Assad has heightened fears that IS could make a comeback in Syria.
But the international community has so far reacted cautiously to the possibility that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist rebel group that ousted President Bashar al-Assad, could seize control of the country. There is.
