A 15-year-old from Wuppertal, North Rhine-Westphalia, has been arrested for allegedly planning attacks on Jewish communities and festivals. The teenager has been classified as a potential threat by police and is under investigation for conspiracy to commit a crime.
German security authorities received a tip about the youth in late August, according to Der Spiegel. The Joint Counter-Terrorism Center of federal and state authorities had been monitoring the teenager due to concerns he might carry out an attack.
As a precautionary measure, police held the teen in custody during the memorial service for the deadly knife attack in Solingen. Initially released afterward, he was subsequently placed in pre-trial detention when investigators discovered chats on his phone with a suspected Islamist abroad.
Links to extremist content uncovered
The foreign Islamist reportedly attempted to incite the 15-year-old to commit a knife attack following the Solingen incident, which had resulted in three deaths. The two had allegedly discussed potential targets, including festivals and Jewish communities.
Further investigation revealed that the teenager had posted videos on TikTok featuring flags of the “Islamic State” (IS) jihadist militia. The Central Office for Terrorism Prosecution in North Rhine-Westphalia, based at the Düsseldorf Public Prosecutor’s Office, is handling the case.
