German authorities have arrested three teenagers—two girls and a boy, aged between 15 and 16—over allegations of plotting an ISIS terror attack, as announced by prosecutors.
The suspects, hailing from the Duesseldorf area, are accused of conspiring to commit a terror act motivated by Islamist extremism, including plans for murder and manslaughter.
While specifics of the planned attack remain undisclosed due to the ongoing investigation, reports from Bild suggest the trio intended to execute Molotov cocktail and knife attacks under the banner of the IS group, targeting Christians and police officers. Discussions about acquiring firearms were also reported.
This incident adds to Germany’s heightened vigilance against Islamist terrorism, especially since the Israel-Hamas conflict in October, with recent arrests linked to planned attacks and a noted decline in the number of individuals associated with Islamist extremism in Germany, according to intelligence data.
More than 400 German police officers are under scrutiny for possible right-wing extremist beliefs or spreading conspiracy theories, according to data from the 16 state Interior Ministries.
The real figure might be higher as some states lacked recent updates. Uli Grötsch, the new police ombudsman, warns of right-wing extremists’ attempts to undermine the police, marking an unprecedented threat.
North Rhine-Westphalia’s Interior Minister, Herbert Reul, stresses the necessity for police to maintain constitutional integrity, viewing those with extremist views as a threat to democracy and the rule of law, and unfit for the police service.
The search for extremists within police and security has been ongoing, with a 2022 Federal Interior Ministry report identifying 327 employees linked to right-wing extremism or the Reichsbürger movement within three years.
