A 17-year-old Syrian has been arrested in Hamburg on suspicion of preparing a terrorist attack. According to Tagesschau, the suspect allegedly planned a bombing and is now in custody. The exact details of the attack plans are currently unclear.
The public prosecutor's office reports that the teenager intended to kill an unspecified number of "infidels" in a shopping center, a bar, or a police station in Hamburg. However, he has not yet specified a concrete target. He is said to have already acquired universal fertilizer and liquid barbecue lighter fluid, which can be used to create explosives and Molotov cocktails.
Additionally, the suspect had purchased a balaclava and a knife. Special forces from the Hamburg police arrested the accused on Thursday, seizing the items intended for the attack during a search of his apartment. Investigations indicate that the teenager was apparently inspired by the terrorist organization Islamic State (IS).
The public prosecutor's office believes that the 17-year-old planned the act alone. Earlier last week, the Federal Intelligence Service received a tip-off regarding the teenager's alleged plans. According to information from NDR, the suspect had previously drawn attention in groups on the messaging service Telegram and was already known to the authorities.
He had already been under investigation for allegedly using symbols of the so-called Islamic State. A psychiatric evaluation of the accused has already been ordered by the Hamburg public prosecutor's office in a separate investigation.
