Germany arrests 5 Daesh members planning attack on US bases

Germany says it has arrested five members of Daesh terrorist group allegedly planning to carry out a series of attacks on US military bases.

According to federal prosecutors, the suspects, identified as Azizjon B., Muhammadali G., Farhodshoh K. and Sunatullokh K., were all citizens of Tajikistan and joined Daesh in January 2019. They were arrested on Wednesday at different regions within the territory of North Rhine-Westphalia state. 

The group, headed by Ravsan B., a 30-year-old Tajik man, was initially supposed to attack some targets in Tajikistan. But, due to some reasons, they have switched their target country to Germany in a bid to attack US airforce bases. They have been in contact with two high-ranking Daesh figures in Syria and Afghanistan.

The police also announced that the group had obtained firearms and ammunition for its operations, while having an order from Ravsan B. to construct an explosive device. 

Ravsan B. had accepted a $40,000 contract to assassinate someone in Albania in order to pay for the plans, but it has failed, the police added. 

Germany has repeatedly warned about the threat of attacks by Daesh terrorists, the bloodiest of which was a truck rampage through a Berlin Christmas market in December 2016 that left 12 people dead.

MG