A 17-year-old Syrian national has been arrested in Hamburg on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack inspired by the Islamic State, according to German prosecutors.
Special police units detained the teenager last Thursday following an investigation into an alleged bomb plot targeting either a shopping center or a police station. Authorities said the suspect had already begun acquiring materials for the attack, including fertilizer that could potentially be used in explosives.
Investigators stated that the suspect had also considered alternative attack methods, including Molotov cocktails and a knife attack. During searches, police reportedly seized fertilizer, liquid grill lighter fluid, a knife, and a balaclava.
According to the Hamburg General Prosecutor’s Office, intelligence provided by the Federal Intelligence Service, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the Federal Criminal Police Office, and Hamburg state investigators played a key role in the operation.
Prosecutors also noted that the teenager had previously come to the attention of authorities in connection with another investigation involving suspected violations of Germany’s association laws and other offenses, leading officials to request a psychiatric evaluation prior to the arrest.
