Suspicion of terrorism: Five arrests for plot to assault Christmas market | EUROtoday

Five males have been arrested for suspected plans to assault a Christmas market within the Dingolfing space in Lower Bavaria. Arrest warrants have been issued towards 4 of them – one was taken into preventive custody, because the Munich Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed. It is at the moment primarily based on Islamist motivation. The assault ought to due to this fact be carried out with a car. As the Attorney General’s Office emphasised, the presumption of innocence applies. “Bild” had beforehand reported on the case.

Arrests on Friday

The arrests came about on Friday – the boys have been then introduced earlier than the decide on Saturday. According to the Attorney General’s Office, they’re a 56-year-old Egyptian, a 37-year-old Syrian and three Moroccans aged 22, 28 and 30. According to present investigations, the Egyptian is alleged to have referred to as for an assault in a mosque within the Dingolfing-Landau space.

It was initially unclear when the attainable assault was deliberate and the way particular the plans have been. The public prosecutor’s workplace mentioned the state of affairs was nonetheless too recent to make any statements about it. Their central workplace for combating extremism and terrorism led the operation, wherein the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution was additionally concerned.

Herrmann: Attack in Bavaria prevented

Bavaria’s Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann thanked everybody concerned. «The case impressively demonstrates the nice response and efficiency of our safety authorities and exhibits: We are in a position to shield our residents! Thanks to the superb cooperation of our safety authorities, a number of suspects have been arrested in a really quick time and a possible Islamist-motivated assault in Bavaria was prevented. The backgrounds now must be brightened.

The district administrator of Dingolfing-Landau, Werner Bumeder (CSU), instructed the Bayern media group that he had solely not too long ago been knowledgeable and couldn’t present any extra particulars, together with which Christmas promote it was or whether or not the suspects lived within the district.

© dpa-infocom, dpa:251213-930-420116/4