Berlin: Terror threat against Jewish community

Berlin police have warned the city's Jewish community of an increased threat of terrorist attack and have increased their monitoring of synagogues and Jewish schools, news reports said Saturday. The weekly Focus newsmagazine said leaders of the 12,000-strong community in the German capital had been told of an increased threat from Islamist terrorists. It cited security sources.


A similar warning had been issued to the Israeli Embassy on January 11, Focus said.


The Berliner Morgenpost daily said in its Saturday edition that police were increasing their presence at synagogues and Jewish schools.


The federal German authorities declined to comment, and Jewish leaders could not be reached on the Sabbath.


Berlin police declined to comment on a report by Focus that four Arab men had been arrested while acting suspiciously near Jewish insitutions.


Focus said three of the men had subsequently been released, while the fourth was being held for unrelated offences.


The magazine reported that a stolen army minibus had been found with its number plates removed, suggesting the vehicle was to have been used in a bomb attack.


It also said that federal German police had found a large quantity of explosives.


Source: Eathtimes (English)