by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief
BERLIN/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – German authorities have detained five men in southern Germany over an alleged plot to carry out a “possibly Islamist-motivated attack” on a Christmas market, officials confirmed late Friday.
The suspected attack targeted a Christmas market in the Bavarian city of Dingolfing and was thwarted following a tip from a foreign intelligence service, according to German media reports and prosecutors.
Authorities said the alert prompted an urgent police operation, leading to the arrest of five suspects on Friday. The Munich public prosecutor’s office confirmed that those detained include a 56-year-old Egyptian national, a 37-year-old Syrian national, and three Moroccan nationals aged 22, 28, and 30.
German newspaper Bild and other outlets reported that the alleged plot was uncovered after German security services received specific intelligence from a foreign intelligence service. Officials have declined to identify the country involved or the precise nature of the information.
German police said the tip was considered credible enough to justify immediate intervention, particularly given heightened security concerns surrounding Christmas markets, which have previously been targeted in deadly attacks service.
SUSPECTED UNDER INVESTIGATION
Investigators believe the suspects may have planned to ram a vehicle into a crowded Christmas market, a tactic used in past extremist attacks in Europe.
Yet authorities stressed that it remains unclear how advanced or operational the plans were, and no specific date for a possible attack was confirmed.
Prosecutors said the investigation is ongoing and that charges have not yet been finalized, as evidence is still being assessed.
Germany traditionally increases security around Christmas markets following a series of attacks in Europe in recent years, including the 2016 Berlin Christmas market attack, which killed 12 people.
Officials emphasized that the swift action in Dingolfing demonstrates improved intelligence sharing and rapid response capabilities, though they cautioned against drawing premature conclusions about motives.
Authorities urged the public to remain calm, saying there is no indication of an immediate threat to other Christmas markets at this time.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
U.S.-Iran peace negotiations faced new turbulence Thursday after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned commercial vessels against using routes outside Tehran’s approved passage through the Strait of Hormuz, while Iranian officials also rejected U.S. claims that unfrozen funds would be used to buy American agricultural products.
Fulani herdsmen attacked a Christian village in Plateau state, Nigeria, early Monday, killing 28 Christians, including a pastor, after reportedly being guided toward the homes of church leaders, according to Christian Daily International-Morning Star News.
U.S. Central Command said Wednesday that American forces killed a senior ISIS leader in a precision airstrike in northwest Syria, as the terror group seeks to exploit the country’s unstable security environment following years of war and political upheaval.
An incident at a beauty salon in Pakistan’s largest city has sparked renewed debate about discrimination against Christians after a customer reportedly refused to be served by a Christian employee because of her faith.
A series of major earthquakes shook different parts of the world within less than 24 hours, killing nearly 200 people, injuring many more, and briefly raising fears of a wider global seismic crisis.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel will not withdraw from its security zone in southern Lebanon, insisting the Israel Defense Forces will remain in key positions for as long as necessary to protect Israeli citizens from Hezbollah and other jihadist threats.
A federal judge in Boston on Thursday blocked the Trump administration from enforcing major portions of President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at tightening rules for mail-in voting, delivering another legal setback to the White House as the administration presses its election integrity agenda ahead of November’s federal elections.