German terrorism police are investigating after the arrest of a suspected Islamic extremist who allegedly plotted to kill soldiers with a machete as they bought lunch outside a base.
A 27-year-old Syrian man was arrested on Thursday after purchasing two 16-inch machetes – heavy, curved knives made for clearing undergrowth and now common on European crime scenes. Security officials allege he intended to use the machetes to carry out a terror attack.
The man, who was in Germany on a humanitarian visa and had no criminal record or outstanding deportation orders, was allegedly plotting to attack a group of soldiers who had arrived in Hof, Upper Franconia, Bavaria, to buy lunch at their barracks.
The Munich prosecutor's office's Bavarian Central Office for Combating Extremism and Terrorism is leading the investigation, with prosecutors saying: German Die Welt, The man intended to kill as many soldiers as he could while they were having lunch.
The aim, they claimed, was to spread the message of Islamic extremism and cause fear among Germans.
