This article is from the source 'rtcom' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.rt.com/news/363999-germany-terrorism-raids-police/
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| German police carry out 13 anti-terrorism raids across 5 federal states | German police carry out 13 anti-terrorism raids across 5 federal states |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| German police forces conducted several raids across five federal states in response to an “imminent terror threat,” according to local media. At least one arrest is reported. | German police forces conducted several raids across five federal states in response to an “imminent terror threat,” according to local media. At least one arrest is reported. |
| Operatives of elite police anti-terrorism units, the SEK, were scrambled across five German states, including Thuringia, Hamburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony and Bavaria, according to Spiegel magazine, which cites police in Thuringia. | Operatives of elite police anti-terrorism units, the SEK, were scrambled across five German states, including Thuringia, Hamburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony and Bavaria, according to Spiegel magazine, which cites police in Thuringia. |
| Bild magazine cited “an imminent terror threat” as a trigger for the operation. | Bild magazine cited “an imminent terror threat” as a trigger for the operation. |
| The large-scale operation reportedly targeted “Islamist-linked terror suspects,” local broadcaster MDR reported. | The large-scale operation reportedly targeted “Islamist-linked terror suspects,” local broadcaster MDR reported. |
| A 28-year-old suspect, said to be a “Russian national of Chechen descent” with links to Islamic State (IS, previously ISIS/ISIL) is wanted by police, Spiegel reported. According to Bild, the suspect may be plotting "a serious act of violence." | A 28-year-old suspect, said to be a “Russian national of Chechen descent” with links to Islamic State (IS, previously ISIS/ISIL) is wanted by police, Spiegel reported. According to Bild, the suspect may be plotting "a serious act of violence." |
| Among other suspects are also 10 men and three women, all with alleged Islamist backgrounds. | Among other suspects are also 10 men and three women, all with alleged Islamist backgrounds. |
| All the suspects are reported to be asylum seekers with unknown residence status. | All the suspects are reported to be asylum seekers with unknown residence status. |
| Police forces deployed sniffer dogs to detect potential explosives. | Police forces deployed sniffer dogs to detect potential explosives. |
| At least one suspect is reported to have been placed under arrest in the central Thuringia city of Suhl, where “white powder” of unknown origin was found. | At least one suspect is reported to have been placed under arrest in the central Thuringia city of Suhl, where “white powder” of unknown origin was found. |
| Later, Thuringia criminal police said there is no threat of a terror attack, adding that preliminary outcomes of the operation would be released "in a matter of days." | Later, Thuringia criminal police said there is no threat of a terror attack, adding that preliminary outcomes of the operation would be released "in a matter of days." |
| Unlike neighboring France and Belgium, Germany had seen no large-scale terrorist attacks until the summer of this year. | |
| In late July, however, it suffered a suicide bombing attempt and three lone-wolf assaults in the space of a week. In all cases, the perpetrators either had direct links to IS or were inspired by radicalism. | |
| One of the most recent terrorist plots was foiled in early October in the eastern city of Chemnitz, when a 22-year-old Syrian national was captured after a two-day manhunt. Although a special operation had been launched by the authorities, the man was only detained when three fellow Syrians tied him up and alerted police. | |
| READ MORE: 'Saxony’s justice fiasco': Syrian bomb suspect’s death in German jail raises eyebrows | READ MORE: 'Saxony’s justice fiasco': Syrian bomb suspect’s death in German jail raises eyebrows |
| The suspect, identified as Jaber al-Bakr, was on the run after German police discovered “highly sensitive explosives” in his flat. Al-Bakr committed suicide while in custody. The authorities said later he had considered a “big airport in Berlin” as a “better target" than trains. |