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Syrian man arrested in Berlin suspected of plotting chemical attack in Israel
A 21-year-old Syrian man was arrested in Berlin on Friday suspected of plotting a terrorist attack in Israel, German media reported.
Berlin police would only confirm that the 21-year-old was arrested last week by a special task force. He is currently still in custody.
The daily newspapers Bild and Die Welt reported the man was intending to commit a terrorist attack against Israel and he was also recruiting others to join the Jihad, “Holy War.” According to one report, the man stated in a phone call that he had already prepared an explosive device.
A foreign intelligence agency informed the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND) several months ago of the man’s possible intentions and the information was conveyed to the Berlin security authorities, who intercepted the suspect's phones, the local newspaper BZ reported.
The suspect allegedly arrived to Germany some time ago from Libya with a fake passport..
Last Thursday he was arrested in a café in Neukölln, a Berlin borough predominantly populated by migrants. Local media published a video of the arrest, taken by onlookers. However, a search conducted in his house did not produce any clear evidence, it noted.
The arrest was said to have been made in connection to a standing arrest warrant against him, for an attack committed 14 April. The Syrian, together with accomplices, is said to have seriously injured a man that allegedly owed him 4,000 Euros who he reportedly kicked his head and held a knife to his throat.
“He is very dangerous,” said a police spokesman after the arrest. He also confirmed that the man was at the center of another preliminary investigation.
(This is a developing story)
Polina Garaev is the i24NEWS correspondent in Germany