Germany: Munich Stations Reopen As Police Hunt For ‘Terror Plot’ Suspects

German police issued an alert of an imminent attack in Munich, hours after evacuating two key train stations over fears militants from the Daesh were planning a New Year suicide bomb assault.

Acting on a tip-off from a “friendly intelligence agency”, German police are hunting seven suspected terrorists, possibly Iraqi nationals linked to Islamic State, who allegedly planned to blow themselves up in Munich train stations on New Year’s Eve.

Bavaria’s Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann said police received intelligence the group was planning a massacre with five to seven suicide bombers as revelers welcomed in the New Year.

Authorities were investigating intensively on Friday, Mr Herrmann said, but so far had not made any arrests.

Munich police chief Hubertus Andrae said police have been unable to find the suspects.

Police, including some in riot gear, were stationed overnight at the entrances to the station. (Sven Hoppe/dpa via AP) German special police stand in front of the Munich, southern Germany, main train station Thursday evening, December 31, 2015 after police warned of “imminent threat” of terror attack and ordered two train stations to be cleared.

Yet with little to go on and no arrests almost 24 hours later, officials in Bavaria were defending their decision to close the two transit hubs hours before midnight and to flood the city with heavily armed, specially equipped officers – 550 as of Friday morning, including reinforcements from other parts of the southern state.

In New York City, where one million people were expected to gather in Times Square to watch the traditional ball drop ceremony, thousands of police officers were deployed, including hundreds who are part of a new anti-terror force.

The authorities in Brussels called off all official events after three people were detained on Thursday in connection with an alleged New Year’s Eve plot.

German police cancelled a friendly football game between Germany and the Netherlands in the city of Hanover on November 17 hours before it was due to start because of fears of a planned bombing attack. “Thanks for staying calm and for your understanding concerning our measures”.

Herrmann told Bavarian state television that there was still a high risk of a terrorist attack throughout Europe, but there was now “no direct indication of an attack today or tomorrow on a specific place”. France’s foreign intelligence service reportedly tipped off Germany about the ISIS links this week.

The Munich alarm followed days of security warnings in Europe. That tip, too, had included the names of several suspects.

European capitals are on high security alert, with Brussels and Paris both scrapping fireworks for New Year’s celebrations.