German police thwart Christmas market terror plot

German authorities announced on Saturday that they had arrested five suspects allegedly planning a terrorist attack on a Christmas market in Bavaria.

According to the state prosecutor’s office, police arrested and are questioning an Egyptian man aged 56, a Syrian man aged 37, and three Moroccan men aged 22, 28, and 30. They allegedly prepared an attack intended “to kill and injure as many people as possible” at a Christmas market near the town of Dingolfing.

Investigators clarified they suspect an “Islamist motive” lies behind these plans.

The 56-year-old Egyptian serves as an Imam in a mosque on the outskirts of Dingolfing-Landau, near Munich, according to the Bild newspaper. Authorities state he allegedly demanded the targeting of a market, “using a vehicle to kill or injure as many people as possible.”

The Moroccans, aged 22, 28, and 30, allegedly agreed to launch the attack, while the 37-year-old Syrian is believed to have encouraged them. All suspects appeared before a judge yesterday and have been remanded in custody.

Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann stressed the “excellent cooperation between security services” that allowed them to prevent “a potentially Islamist-motivated attack.” Authorities have not clarified where they arrested the suspects or the exact location and time of the planned attack.

Strict Security Measures

Germany’s traditional Christmas markets, which attract huge crowds every year, have steadily increased security measures since the 2016 Islamist attack in Berlin, which killed 13 people.

Last year, a car attack on the Magdeburg Christmas market killed six people and injured over 300. Taleb Jawad al-Abdulmohsen, a Saudi national who confessed to the attack, is currently on trial. At the start of his trial in early November, the psychiatrist, who had expressed hatred for Islam and the German government online, made confused references to political and religious views.

His action brought the issue of security back into the spotlight in Germany. It also reignited the debate surrounding immigration during an election period, especially following several knife attacks, some perpetrated by foreign nationals. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party finished second for the first time in the federal elections held in February.

The Magdeburg market opened in late November under strict police protection, with concrete blocks erected around the perimeter and painted red and green to give them a festive appearance.

However, some towns, including Overath near Cologne, decided to cancel their Christmas markets due to the high cost of security measures. Last year, over 7,000 Christmas markets across Germany attracted 170 million visitors, generating revenues of 4.2 billion euros—an average of around €25 per visitor.