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German Police Arrest Syrian Refugee Suspected of Plotting Attack

Belgian Army soldiers patrol Brussels Airport / AP
October 10, 2016

German authorities arrested a Syrian refugee on Monday who was suspected of plotting a bomb attack on behalf of the Islamic State.

Jaber Albakr, 22, was detained in eastern Germany after a two-day manhunt stemmed from a tip-off that he may be attempting to recruit conspirators.

Authorities found explosives while searching for Albakr on Saturday during a raid on an apartment in Chemnitz, located roughly 160 miles south of Berlin. German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said in a statement the evidence suggested "the preparations in Chemnitz are similar to the preparations for the attacks in Paris and Brussels."

Albakr arrived in Germany last year along with the nearly 900,000 other migrants who poured into the nation in 2015. He was granted asylum in June of last year.

Authorities captured Albakr after three other Syrian migrants recognized him from police photos and tied him up in their apartment. The president of the Saxony state police said Albakr’s behavior suggested he was likely inspired by ISIS.

"Tired but overjoyed: we captured the terror suspect last night in Leipzig," the Saxony police tweeted Monday.

Police arrested a second suspect from Syria at Chemnitz station on Saturday. The federal interior ministry said it was too soon to determine whether Albakr was connected to a larger terrorist network.