German police raid suspected Islamists in Berlin

More than 600 German nationals have joined radical groups in Iraq and Syria, according to German intelligence. “They exploit the atmosphere of hatred, intolerance and violence”, Hessian justice minister Eva Kühne-Hörmann said, as quoted by Der Spiegel.

“Our attention is particularly focused on unaccompanied young refugees who could be easy prey for militants”, Maassen said. He said that the routes taken by refugees were too perilous to be risked by IS jihadists.

German police carried out dawn raids in Berlin Tuesday targeting individuals suspected of inciting people to go and fight for the Islamic State group in Syria.

The raids targeted a 51-year-old Moroccan who was allegedly recruiting for the jihadists and a 19-year-old Macedonian that is also possibly involved in terrorist recruitment, among others.

The head of Germany’s domestic intelligence agency says he is concerned Islamic extremists already in the country might succeed in recruiting newly-arrived refugees to their cause, but he has seen no evidence that extremist groups are attempting to infiltrate Europe by hiding among the wave of newcomers.

Deutsche Welle also reported that an association attached to a mosque in the central Tempelhof-Schöneberg district of Berlin, was among the raided buildings. No arrests were made.

At the same time, police said that there were “no indications that anything [terrorist attacks] was being planned in Germany.”

Germany has been spared a major Islamist attack, unlike many of its European neighbours, but the country has been called a potential target in IS propaganda.