Three terror suspects arrested in Berlin
January 31, 2017
Authorities in Berlin arrested three men suspected of links to the self-proclaimed "Islamic State" (IS) jihadist group in an anti-terror raid late on Tuesday.
The three men, aged 21, 31 and 45, were reportedly planning to travel out to combat zones and IS training camps, likely in Syria or Iraq.
Earlier reports suggested the men were suspected of planning a serious attack on German soil. However, a Berlin police spokesperson reportedly told news agency AFP that there was no evidence of an immediate attack.
The men's desire to travel to IS training camps may still have been in preparation for an attack, police admitted.
Police on Tuesday also reportedly raided the "Fussilet" mosque in the Moabit district of the German capital, which the men are believed to have often visited. The mosque on Perleberger Strasse is connected to the Fussilet 33 association, which has been under police surveillance for allegedly trying to recruit new members for IS.
Anis Amri, who killed 12 people in an attack on a Berlin Christmas marketon December 19, also had links to the mosque. Surveillance footage showed Tunisian national Amri entering the mosque the day after he committed the attack.
However, police said there was no evidence the three men detained on Tuesday had direct links to Amri.
dm/jr (dpa, Bild)