Germany Arrests Syrian Teen for Planning Berlin Suicide Attack
German police said the suspect was detained after sending a farewell message to family saying that 'he had joined the jihad'
German authorities detained a 17-year-old Syrian outside Berlin on Tuesday on suspicion that he was planning a suicide attack in the German capital, officials said.
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Police in the state of Brandenburg said the teenager was detained in the county of Uckermark, northeast of Berlin, after they learned he had sent a message to family members saying farewell and that "he had joined the jihad," or holy war.
"Evidence of the planning of a concrete act has not yet been identified during the police investigation," police said in a statement.
The state Interior Ministry's office identified the suspect as a Syrian. The teenager, whose name wasn't released, came to Germany in 2015 as an unaccompanied minor and registered as an asylum-seeker. He has been living since 2016 in a home for minor refugees in Uckermark.
German security officials have repeatedly warned that the country is in the crosshairs of international terrorism groups. In December, a Tunisian citizen attacked a Berlin Christmas market, killing 12 people and injuring dozens.