A rejected asylum seeker from Libya has been arrested on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack on the Israeli embassy in Berlin, German authorities confirmed.
Special units from the Federal Criminal Police Office arrested the 28-year-old suspect and raided a house in Bernau, Brandenburg, on Saturday, preventing what is believed to have been a potential terrorist attack.
At the same time, another search was conducted in an apartment in a high-rise building in Sankt Augustin, North Rhine-Westphalia, believed to be the home of the suspect’s uncle. Potential evidence is understood to have been seized from the property.
German authorities were alerted to the suspect by foreign intelligence services, who provided a tip that led to the investigation. The Libyan national was allegedly planning to attack the Israeli embassy using either firearms or explosives. He had reportedly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State.
“There was a police operation this evening in Bernau near Berlin and in Sankt Augustin near Bonn. A suspect was arrested in Bernau on charges of membership in a foreign terrorist organization,” said Michael Ramöller, a spokesperson for the federal prosecutor’s office.
No charges have been brought against the uncle of the suspect, who lives in Sankt Augustin, though he is being treated as a witness in the case.
The Libyan national entered Germany in November 2022 and applied for asylum in January 2023. His application was rejected in September 2023, and he was scheduled for deportation. However, despite the rejection, he continued living in Bernau undisturbed until his arrest.
Authorities are currently investigating whether the suspect’s uncle knew about the planned attack. After the embassy plot, the suspect allegedly intended to flee to his uncle’s home in Sankt Augustin and then attempt to escape abroad.
Investigators have confiscated several mobile phones, data carriers, and other potential evidence during their searches. Vehicles were also examined for further clues. The suspect is expected to be brought before a judge in Karlsruhe on charges of supporting a foreign terrorist organization.
Herbert Reul, North Rhine-Westphalia state’s interior minister, emphasized the importance of Jewish security following the arrest.
“The security of Jewish institutions has top priority. This operation was a success — but also a warning to those who want to threaten Jewish life in Germany: We are on your trail!” he told German tabloid Bild.
