German police arrest three Iraqis suspected of planning attack

BERLIN: German police arrested three Iraqis suspected of planning an Islamist-motivated attack, the federal prosecutor`s office said on Wednesday. Two of the three suspects, identified as Shahin F., Hersh F. and Rauf S., decided in late 2018 to plan an attack in Germany, the prosecutor`s office said.

"The findings to date show the suspects had not yet selected a specific target for their attack," the federal prosecutor`s office said in a statement. The suspects were arrested in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein.

Shahin F. downloaded instructions on how to build a bomb and ordered a detonator from a contact in Britain, the office said. British authorities prevented its delivery to Germany. Shahin F. and Hersh F. tried to build an explosive device with gunpowder from New Year`s fireworks and contacted Rauf S. about buying a gun, the office said.

"In addition, the suspects considered using a motor vehicle in their attack. Therefore, Shahin F. started taking driving lessons in early 2019 at the latest," it said.