Germany arrests ISIS sympathizers who reportedly planned to attack Xmas markets

Three suspected Islamist extremists have been arrested in Germany on suspicion of preparing a “serious act of violence,” with an assault rifle and knives also seized, authorities say.

Police swooped Sunday on the homes of two German-Lebanese brothers aged 15 and 20 in the city of Mannheim, and a 22-year-old German-Turkish man from the Hochtaunus district of Hessen state.

German media reports say they were planning to attack Christmas markets in either Frankfurt or Mannheim.

Local prosecutors and police say in a statement that the act they were planning could have “endangered the state,” without disclosing further details.

Germany has faced a string of attacks and plots by suspected Islamists in recent years and has been on high alert since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, terror onslaught in Israel sparked the war in the Gaza Strip.

The brothers detained in Mannheim, who have a “strong religious ideology and profound sympathy” for the Islamic State group, made concrete preparations for an attack, authorities say.

The assault rifle, along with ammunition, was found during a search of the 22-year-old German-Turkish man’s home, they say. Several knives, a balaclava and mobile phones also turned up during searches.

But officials stress that “at no point was there any concrete danger to the public.” The suspects are in pre-trial detention.