German police apprehended three minors, two girls aged 15 and 16, and a boy aged 15, for allegedly planning an attack on Christian church congregations and police officers motivated by “Islamist extremism,” German authorities said Friday.
The three, referred to as “Islamic State idolizers” due to their reported praise of the “Islamic State,” are from the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
The plot is reported to have called for targeting churchgoers and police officers at police stations with knives and Molotov bombs. The teens had created a chat group.
Although no precise plot to attack at a specific time or location was discovered, investigators “certainly saw the danger” and conducted searches. Arrest warrants were issued over the Easter weekend, according to officials.
Germany has been on heightened alert for Islamist assaults throughout the Israel-Hamas war.
The latest terror assault in Moscow has raised concerns about European security, particularly in Germany and neighboring France.