The police arrested two Syrian brothers, aged 24 and 28, who are said to have planned a bomb attack in Germany. This was announced by the Federal Criminal Police Office, the Hamburg State Criminal Police Office and the Attorney General of the Hanseatic city on Tuesday.
The older of the two brothers is said to have ordered material for the construction of explosive devices over the Internet to Hamburg in the past few weeks, while the younger is said to have encouraged him in his plans for an attack. According to the findings of the investigators, the men wanted to produce an explosive belt in order to carry out an attack on “civilian targets”, as it was said. “There is no evidence of a specific target.” The investigators see a “radical Islamist and jihadist attitude” as a motive for the plans.
The investigations dragged on for a long period of time. On Wednesday morning, special forces from the Federal Police overpowered the 28-year-old in Hamburg, and his brother was arrested in Kempten in the Allgäu. According to the police, officials searched several objects, including those of the men’s contacts. “Extensive evidence, including chemical substances, was seized.” A total of around 250 officers were deployed.
Hamburg’s Interior Senator Andy Grote praised the “highly professional and successful work” of the security authorities after the access. “The case shows once again how vigilant and efficient our security authorities have to be in order to protect us effectively against extremist attacks,” the DPA news agency quoted the SPD politician as saying.
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated since it was first published.
Sources: Hamburg police, news agencies AFP and DPA
