Terrorism - Behrens: Number of dangerous individuals has fallen since 2018
Following the detention of a 20-year-old on suspicion of a planned terrorist attack, Lower Saxony's Interior Minister Daniela Behrens has emphasized that the fight against Islamist terrorism is a high priority. The SPD politician told the German Press Agency on Friday that the number of people classified as so-called "Gefährder" had fallen continuously since 2018. "However, current events in the Middle East, in particular the terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel, have led to a complex and tense threat situation in Germany." The police in Lower Saxony have therefore stepped up measures to counter potential threats.
According to the Ministry of the Interior, there is currently a mid-double-digit number of people in Lower Saxony who are listed as a threat in the area of politically motivated crime. Threats are people who the authorities believe are capable of committing the most serious politically motivated crimes, including attacks.
The 20-year-old was arrested in Helmstedt on November 21 on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack. Investigators consider the Christmas market in Hanover to be a possible target. The suspect is in police custody.
Interior Minister Behrens went on to say that although there are currently no indications of a specific threat to Christmas markets in Lower Saxony, the current security situation is also having an impact on them. "However, the people of Lower Saxony can rest assured that the security authorities are doing everything in their power to secure Christmas markets and other events," said Behrens. Anyone visiting a Christmas market should not be filled with fear. In the end, this would only be confirmation for terrorists that their "strategy of terror" was working.
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- The German Press Agency reported that Daniela Behrens, the SPD politician and Interior Minister of Lower Saxony, noted a decrease in individuals classified as "Gefährder" involved in criminality related to Islamist terrorism since 2018, but mentioned that current events in the Middle East, particularly Hamas' terrorist attacks against Israel, have created a complex and tense threat situation in Germany.
- The 20-year-old suspect, who was apprehended by police in Helmstedt on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack, is believed by investigators to have considered the Christmas market in Hanover as a potential target.
- As a response to the increased threat level, the police in Lower Saxony have implemented additional measures to counter potential risks related to terrorist activities.
- While there are no present indications of a specific threat to Christmas markets in Lower Saxony, Behrens stated that the current security situation is influencing these events, urging the people of Lower Saxony to have confidence that the security authorities are taking every necessary step to protect Christmas markets and other events from terrorism, emphasizing that fear should not be fed into terrorists' strategy.
- The German government and its parties, such as the SPD, have consistently prioritized the fight against criminality and terrorism, with Germany and Israel maintaining close cooperation in addressing shared challenges, including terrorist activities associated with groups like Hamas.
Source: www.stern.de
