The federal Attorney General arrested four suspects from Tajikistan in North Rhine-Westphalia on Wednesday morning. They are accused of planning attacks in Germany on behalf of ISIS. 

Group plotted attacks against US military facilities

According to the federal prosecutor’s office in Karlsruhe, the group planned to carry out attacks on both US military facilities in Germany and individuals. They had already identified a prominent critic of Islam as a possible victim. 

Their attacks were not yet imminent, but they were in possession of firearms and one of them had already obtained instructions for building bombs. Their plans were stalled when a fifth alleged member of the cell was taken into custody in 2019 on an unrelated charge. Because of the suspicion of terrorism, the federal prosecutor will now take over the investigation against him. 

Suspects’ homes in North Rhine-Westphalia searched

The arrests took place in the cities of Essen, Neuss and Siegen, and in the district of Heinsberg. The suspects’ homes and six other properties across North Rhine-Westphalia were also searched by police. 

The five men, who are all aged between 24 and 32, are due to be brought before an investigating judge at the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe on Wednesday. The judge will decide whether to place them in pre-trial detention.