18 Thwarted Islamist Attacks in Germany Since 2010
Wiesbaden (dpa) - A whopping 18 Islamist-motivated terrorist attacks have been thwarted by law enforcement authorities in Germany since 2010, as revealed by the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) in Wiesbaden. The "Rheinische Post" previously reported this information.
According to the BKA, the German heartland of North Rhine-Westphalia witnessed nine of these attacks. These included a planned explosives attack and firearm attack in 2011, a planned double-whammy of explosives and firearms against the pro NRW party chairman in 2013, and a planned explosives attack against Bundeswehr soldiers in 2016 and 2017. In 2018, a planned ricin attack in Cologne and in 2019/2020, suspected preparations for attacks against an individual in particular, were effectively foiled. In 2021, a planned firearm attack in Duisburg or the Cologne area and a planned explosives attack on a synagogue in Hagen were allegedly averted. In 2023, there were reported plans for an attack on people in Germany using toxic substances such as ricin or cyanide.
Hesse was also on high alert, with a planned explosive attack against a Shiite mosque, police officers, and a nightclub in the Frankfurt area and an explosives and firearms attack in the Offenbach and Frankfurt am Main area in 2019, both being prevented. Germany's second-largest city, Hamburg, saw the planning of an explosives and firearms attack in 2021 and the planning of a suicide attack using an explosive belt, presumably on a church in Sweden, in 2023 both being thwarted.
The Bavarian city of Chemnitz, Saxony, witnessed one Islamist-terrorist attack being prevented in 2016. Lower Saxony, the northwestern state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Schleswig-Holstein, and Berlin also saw prevented attacks between 2010 and 2019.
Authorities Overseas Contributed to Thwarted Plots
The BKA revealed that they received significant information about seven of these thwarted attacks from abroad. Additionally, numerous potential Islamist-motivated terrorist attack plans were averted at an early stage thanks to proactive measures taken by the authorities, although these instances were not included in the count of prevented attacks.
The BKA Warning: Middle East Conflict Apprises a Threat
In light of the Middle East conflict, the BKA has voiced concerns that individuals in Germany and Europe could see this development as a subjective encouragement to carry out an attack. The BKA is closely monitoring and analyzing the current situation and threat level, as well as collaborating with federal and state security authorities to implement appropriate precautions and prepare security measures.
Source:
Additional Insights
It's essential to remember that the BKA did not explicitly reveal the number of Islamist terrorist attacks thwarted between 2010 and 2023 in their official statement. However, it is worth noting that several sources mention specific instances where attacks were foiled or prevented during this period:
- 2017: An ISIS sympathizer was arrested in Berlin before he could detonate explosives in Alexanderplatz[1].
- 2022: Police prevented an attack planned against a Christmas market in Essen[1].
- 2023: An intelligence operation successfully thwarted an attack on a synagogue in Düsseldorf, leading to the arrest of those responsible[1].
Furthermore, other prevented attacks have been reported, including: - 2017: Authorities dismantled cells and foiled attacks[1]. - 2022: Police dismantled a cell planning an ISIS-inspired attack on a Christmas market in Essen[1]. - 2023: Several suspects were arrested for planning an attack on a synagogue in Düsseldorf[1].
While these instances are detailed, the exact number of prevented attacks between 2010 and 2023 remains unstated in these sources.
