Germany arrests ‘terror suspects’, Hamas denies connection

FRNKFURT: Three suspected members of Hamas were arrested in Berlin Wednesday for allegedly planning attacks on Jewish and Israeli sites, German prosecutors said, with weapons and ammunition also seized.

However, the group said in a statement denied any connection to three arrested men and said the allegations that the detainees had links to Hamas were “completely unfounded”.

The suspects were “foreign operatives” of Hamas, who have “have been involved in procuring firearms and ammunition for the organisation” in Germany, said federal prosecutors in a statement.

An AK-47 assault rifle and several pistols, along with a stash of ammunition, were seized when the suspects were arrested, it said.

“The weapons were to be used by Hamas for deadly attacks targeting Israeli or Jewish institutions in Germany,” added the statement.

Read more: A ‘divided’ Hamas is against disarmament clause in Trump plan

According to news outlet Der Spiegel, searches were also carried out in the eastern city of Leipzig around the same time as the arrests in Berlin.

‘A TARGET FOR TERRORISTS’

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt hailed law enforcement officials for “averting a terrorist threat”.

A suspect with Hamas connections had entered Germany several months ago and had been under observation since, Dobrindt told reporters in Brussels.

“We are clearly a target for terrorists, which is why we must always be well prepared to defend ourselves against them,” he added.

The suspects are accused of membership of a foreign terrorist organisation and preparing a “serious act of violence endangering the state”, according to prosecutors.

Two of the suspects were partially identified as German citizens Abed Al G and Ahmad I. The third, Wael F M, was described only as “Lebanese-born”, as the prosecutor’s office said his nationality was not yet clear.

They will appear in court Thursday.

Germany considers Hamas a terrorist group. Its activities and any organisations linked to the group are banned in the country.

Germany, which has long been seeking to atone for the Holocaust and is traditionally a staunch Israeli ally, has seen a sharp rise in anti-Semitic incidents.