Two of three Hagen attack-plan suspects released, German police say
German police say two Syrian suspects detained in Hagen over an alleged attack plot have been released, while a third man's status remains unclear.
Update ·
German police say two Syrian suspects detained in Hagen over an alleged attack plot have been released.
Also in:Deutsch
German police have released two of the three men detained on Thursday on suspicion of planning an armed attack in North Rhine-Westphalia, police confirmed to German press agency dpa, according to Tagesspiegel. The two released men are Syrian nationals, aged 20 and 24, from Hagen.
The status of the third suspect, a 33-year-old German national who converted to Islam, from Unna, remained unclear, Tagesspiegel reported. Police said they would issue a further statement on the ongoing investigation later in the day.
A special police unit detained two men in Hagen and a third in Unna, about 25km away, Czech outlet Novinky.cz reported, citing Germany's Bild. North Rhine-Westphalia's domestic intelligence agency had monitored the men since earlier this year, security sources told Tagesspiegel, after assessing they had become increasingly radicalised and had repeatedly discussed attack plans among themselves.
Security sources told Tagesspiegel the men were suspected of having ideological sympathies with the Islamic State group. The men had exchanged information online about a possible armed attack, Novinky.cz reported, though it was not yet clear whether weapons were found during searches of their homes or how concrete any attack plans were.
Police said the raids followed intelligence-service tip-offs and declined to give further details, citing the ongoing investigation.
North Rhine-Westphalia's interior minister, Herbert Reul, said the region's domestic intelligence agency and police had shown how well the security system worked when all its parts functioned together, and that the suspects had believed themselves undetected. German police can hold a person in preventive custody for up to 14 days in a suspected terrorism case if a judge approves it; the suspects must be released if the suspicion is not substantiated.
What we know
- Two of three men detained on suspicion of planning an attack in North Rhine-Westphalia have been released: Syrian nationals aged 20 and 24, from Hagen.
- The status of the third suspect, a 33-year-old German convert to Islam from Unna, remains unclear.
- Security sources said the men had ideological sympathies with the Islamic State group and had been monitored since earlier this year.
- Police said the raids followed intelligence-service tip-offs; it is not yet clear whether weapons were found during the searches.
- German law allows up to 14 days' preventive custody in a suspected terrorism case if a judge approves it.
Not yet confirmed
- Unconfirmed Whether weapons were found during the home searches, or how concrete the alleged attack plans were, has not been confirmed.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
The case is among a series of suspected Islamist attack plots German authorities have disrupted in recent years. The release of two suspects while a third remains held shows how North Rhine-Westphalia's preventive-custody law lets police intervene before an attack takes shape, while still requiring a judge to approve holding anyone longer and ordering release if the suspicion does not hold up.
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German police say two Syrian suspects detained in Hagen over an alleged attack plot have been released.
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Reported by 3 reports from 3 independent outlets in 2 countries.
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Questions and answers
- How many suspects were detained in the Hagen case?
- Three men were detained on Thursday: two Syrian nationals, aged 20 and 24, from Hagen, and a 33-year-old German convert to Islam from Unna.
- Have any of the suspects been released?
- Yes. Police confirmed the two Syrian suspects have been released; the status of the third suspect remained unclear, Tagesspiegel reported.
- What were the suspects accused of?
- Security sources said they were suspected of planning an armed attack and had ideological sympathies with the Islamic State group.
This article was written with AI assistance from 3 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.