A 21-year-old Syrian-born Palestinian man was arrested in Berlin two weeks ago on suspicion of planning a terror attack in Israel, using chemical weapons, The Times of Israel reported Sunday.
At the time of his arrest, the Syrian migrant was allegedly actively recruiting members for a cell that was to carry out the attack. German media reported that the man was affiliated with the terrorist group Islamic State.
The suspect is believed to have prepared an explosive device intended to be used as part of a chemical weapons attack in Israel. The exact type of chemicals and the target have not been disclosed.
The German newspaper Welt reported, however, that the man in a phone call intercepted by security officials stated that he had already acquired the necessary materials. So far authorities have not found the materials, the reports stated, and the investigation is ongoing.
German authorities confirmed that the man was arrested last month on one of the main streets in Berlin by the SEK Special Deployment Commando forces, after he was involved in a brawl at a local cafe. A police spokesperson said only that the suspect was “very dangerous.”
The German Federal Intelligence Service (BND) reportedly received a tip from a foreign security service about the suspect, who arrived some time ago from Libya using a false passport.
The news of his arrest comes after two people were arrested in Copenhagen on September 24 and charged with attempting to supply Islamic State with drones, which the organization has used to carry out attacks.
In a video message released in Hebrew, the terrorist group warned in October 2015 that “no Jew will be left [alive].” A masked Islamic State fighter said, “The real war has not even begun and everything you have experienced so far has been child’s play — [it is] nothing compared to what will happen to you soon enough, inshallah [God willing].”
“This isn’t just talk. We will advance towards you from everywhere, from the north and the south, from Sinai, from everywhere…We see your crimes every day and we will settle scores,” he concluded.
[Photo: Wikimedia Commons/ Till Krech]