German authorities have arrested a 22-year-old Syrian man in Berlin on suspicion of preparing a jihadist-inspired attack, officials confirmed on Sunday.
The suspect was detained on Saturday in the Neukoelln district of the capital and appeared before an investigating judge on Sunday, who ordered that he be remanded in custody.
According to a joint statement from Berlin police and prosecutors, the man is suspected of “preparing an act of serious violence against the state” and “spreading propaganda materials of anti-constitutional and terrorist organisations.”
A spokesperson for the Berlin prosecutor’s office told AFP that the suspect was allegedly plotting “a jihadist-motivated attack.”
Reports from the German newspaper Bild indicated that special police units searched three residential addresses linked to the suspect and discovered items potentially usable for making explosives.
Although details of the intended target remain unclear, the report suggested the attack was to take place within Berlin.
Germany’s Interior Minister, Alexander Dobrindt, said in a statement that the arrest underscored that “the terrorist threat in Germany, though often abstract, remains heightened.”
He revealed that the Syrian national had been living in Germany since 2023, adding that “his activities suggesting preparations for an attack were detected in time.”
In recent months, Germany has experienced a series of knife attacks and incidents linked to both jihadist and far-right extremism, prompting increased scrutiny of the country’s security preparedness.
Berlin continues to maintain a high security alert, particularly following the 2016 Christmas market attack, when a truck drove into a crowd, killing 12 people and injuring dozens more.