Seven detained in Germany on suspicion of forming IS-like terrorist group

German police arrested seven people on Thursday on suspicion of founding a terrorist organization with the aim of carrying out high-profile attacks similar to Islamic State, prosecutors said.

The Turkmen, Tajik and Kyrgyz nationals arrested in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia had known each other for a long time and entered the country from Ukraine shortly after the war began in 2022, said prosecutors.

They formed a terrorist organization in June 2022 and had been considering targets in Germany and trying to procure weapons, but at the time of arrest did not have concrete plans for an attack, according to a statement from prosecutors.

Except for the Kyrgyz national, the suspects arrested in Germany had also been collecting money for Islamic State since April 2022 and repeatedly transferred it to the group abroad.

Read more: Reuters