Thwarted Terror Threats in Germany's Backyard
In the face of growing concerns about security, Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) is stepping up to the plate. Since 2010, numerous potential Islamist terrorist attacks have been nipped in the bud.
The BKA publicly disclosed that a staggering 18 Islamist-inspired attempts on security have been thwarted since 2010. Among these, North Rhine-Westphalia bore the brunt of nine foiled attacks. These included instances of planned explosives and firearms attacks, such as targeting the chairman of a pro-NRW party and Bundeswehr soldiers.
In 2018, an attempted attack with ricin in Cologne was neutralized, and in 2019-2020, suspected plans for an individual-targeted attack were uncovered. 2021 saw the prevention of a planned firearms attack in Duisburg and a synagogue bombing in Hagen. According to reports, a plot to attack German residents using substances like ricin or cyanide was dismantled in 2023.
Hesse experienced the halt of a planned explosives attack against a Shiite mosque, police officers, and a nightclub in 2018. In 2019, plans for explosives and firearms attacks in Offenbach and Frankfurt am Main unfurled. Two plotlines were also foiled in Hamburg, including an explosives and firearms attack in 2021 and a potential suicide bombing using an explosive belt, possibly aimed at a church in Sweden, in 2023.
Germany's neighboring states were no exception to this spike in thwarted terrorist activities. In 2016, Saxony witnessed a planned explosives attack in Chemnitz, while Lower Saxony encountered a plotted explosives attack targeting soldiers and police officers in 2017. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Schleswig-Holstein also saw thwarted attacks in 2017 and 2019. Berlin uncovered plans for an explosives attack in 2019.
The BKA draws a significant portion of their intelligence about the foiled attacks from foreign sources. In addition, the federal and state security authorities have been alerted to numerous indications of potential Islamist-motivated terrorist plans. The BKA forewarns that the security situation in Germany may deteriorate further due to the escalation of the Middle East conflict. As such, the authorities remain vigilant in monitoring, analyzing, and coordinating their efforts to mitigate any potential threats.
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Insights:
- The number of actual Islamist terrorist attacks prevented in Germany between 2010 and 2023 is not accurately documented in the article.
- Foreign intelligence has proven crucial in foiling several of the thwarted attacks.
- The potential for further escalation of terrorist threats remains due to the ongoing Middle East conflict.
