In a large-scale anti-terrorist raid, police arrested six suspected followers of Islamic State terrorist militia. In Kassel, Hanover, Essen and Leipzig, about 500 policemen searched a total of eight apartments and confiscated mobile phones, laptops and documents.

The persons detained should be Syrians between ages of 20 and 28 years old. Four of m have refore been considered as asylum seekers in Germany since December 2014 and two since late summer of 2015. It is determined by membership of a foreign terrorist group and preparation of a serious criminal offence. Arrest warrants had not been requested until Tuesday afternoon.

The attorney general of Frankfurt am Main shared that men were suspected of "preparing an attack with weapons or explosives for a public destination in Germany". So far re has been no evidence of how concrete preparations were. It is also unclear what alleged Islamists were aiming for, said a spokesman for attorney general's office. The arrests were carried out at an early stage. The men were observed in spy campaigns. "The security concept has gripped," said spokesman of Frankfurt Attorney general's office. There was no information on duration of investigation.

Food already previously target of attack threat

The Hessian radio and Bild newspaper report, citing investigators, that aim of planned attack was to be Essen Christmas market. The Cologne City-Gazette reported, citing investigators, one of detainees had made some time ago with or people in front of a Essen shopping mall pictures. The men would have spent mselves as architecture students, but were already observed at that time. The investigators had been warned as re was a threat of attack on centre in city center in March. It was n closed for several days.

The police have not yet confirmed this presumption. The city of Essen also has no concrete indications for an attack scenario, as city administration, citing attorney general's office in Frankfurt and police, said. There is no evidence of a concrete goal, said prosecutor Christian Hartwig.

The investigators are supposed to have received evidence of terrorist suspects for information from world of refugees. These witnesses would have indicated that men were combatants in Syria. The detainees are supposed to have entered Germany under a false identity. The public prosecutor's office did not confirm this at first.

Date Of Update: 22 November 2017, 12:03