(European Conservative) A 37-year-old Iraqi asylum seeker has been arrested in Augsburg, Germany, for allegedly planning a terrorist attack on the city’s popular Christmas market, local police confirmed.
Authorities acted after discovering evidence that the suspect, named as Ali Al-G, had scouted the market and engaged with Islamic State (IS) operatives online. The arrest has highlighted ongoing security concerns surrounding Christmas markets across Germany, which have been targets for Islamist terrorism in recent years.
Die Welt reports that Ali Al-G was detained on Wednesday evening at an asylum seekers’ residence in Augsburg. Police cited a warrant issued by the Augsburg District Court to secure his deportation under Section 58a of Germany’s Residence Act, a rarely invoked measure for individuals deemed an imminent security threat.
