German police today announced that they have arrested three Islamists who are believed to have planned an attack on New Year’s Eve against the cathedral in Cologne with the help of “a car”, reported Agence France-Presse, quoted by BTA.
The suspects belong to “Islamist groups”, regional interior minister Herbert Royle explained at a press conference.
German authorities said earlier that they had received reports of possible terrorist attacks by an Islamist group on New Year’s Day. Security measures around the famous cathedral were tightened even before the Christmas holidays. It is closed to tourists until further notice.
The three arrests were made in Duisburg, Herne and Düren in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The apartments of the three detainees in these cities were also searched. No details of their identities were released.
According to Cologne police chief Johannes Hermans, all the detained suspects – including the Tajik who was arrested last week – are believed to belong to a larger network involving people across Germany and other European countries, German news agency DPA reported. .
The attack is believed to have been carried out by car.
North Rhine-Westphalia’s interior minister, Herbert Reuhl, called the arrest a success for which he would like to thank investigators. Islamist extremists have always been active, but now they are more active than usual, Royle said. “The police always try to be a few steps ahead,” he added.
On the evening of December 23, German police searched Cologne Cathedral following a warning of a New Year’s Eve attack. Bild newspaper wrote at the time that the security services of Austria, Germany and Spain had received information that a group of Islamists wanted to carry out several attacks in Europe, possibly on New Year’s and Christmas.
On December 26, police said a man had been remanded in custody in connection with a possible plot to attack the iconic Cologne Cathedral on New Year’s Eve.
Last Sunday, police arrested five men during a search of an apartment in the town of Wesel, about 100 km north of Cologne. Four of them were later released, but a 30-year-old ethnic Tajik man remained in custody to “prevent danger”, it said in a statement. A district court confirmed the detention order until January 7 at the request of the Cologne police.
The increased police presence on the festive New Year’s Eve is aimed at preventing any possible attacks, Martin Lotz, head of the police force responsible for maintaining order in this area of Cologne, said on December 29. He did not want to reveal more details.
The police chief warned revelers not to be surprised if they encountered policemen with assault rifles around the city. “I know, this can cause concern,” the law enforcement chief said, but added that the measure was necessary to ensure citizens welcomed the New Year safely.
2023-12-31 19:28:08
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