Access in Saarland
Possible Islamist attack plans: Five arrests
December 24, 2023, 12:26 p.m
A total of five people are arrested in Germany and Austria. They are suspected of planning Islamist attacks. An extremist from Saarland could be connected to an IS offshoot. However, the information is still said to be vague.
According to media reports, a man was arrested in Saarland in connection with information about suspected Islamist plans to attack Cologne Cathedral. The ARD reported without providing any sources that the suspect could be connected to the extremist group ISPK, the Pakistani branch of the Islamic State. The Federal Attorney General has not yet received a statement on the report. A spokeswoman for the Cologne police could not say anything about the arrest.
The man in Saarland has long been known to the authorities as an extremist, reported ARD. However, the indications of his possible involvement in a crime are vague. The authorities would have to decide by midnight on Sunday whether they would apply for an arrest warrant against the man. The Federal Prosecutor General is also involved in the matter, but is skeptical because of the thin nature of the matter, according to investigative circles.
According to the Ministry of the Interior there, the Austrian Office for the Protection of the Constitution has also arrested four people during investigations against an Islamist network. Interviews with the suspects and corresponding evaluations are currently underway, said the Directorate for State Security and Intelligence in the Austrian Ministry of the Interior. For tactical reasons, further details cannot be given at the moment.
The Interior Ministry in Vienna announced that the security situation in Austria and throughout Europe was tense. That is why the security authorities are taking precautionary measures during the Christmas holidays in the form of increased surveillance and surveillance in public spaces.
Checks before church services
On Saturday evening, the police in Cologne announced special protective measures for Cologne Cathedral. All visitors would be checked before entering the place of worship. No explosives were found during a previous search.
According to dpa information, security authorities had received information about a possible attack plan by an Islamist group on Cologne Cathedral and a church. The “Bild” newspaper had reported that the security authorities in Austria, Germany and Spain had received indications that an Islamist terrorist cell might want to carry out several attacks in Europe on New Year’s Eve or Christmas. Targets could also include Christmas services in Cologne, Vienna and Madrid.