German special forces arrested two individuals suspected of terrorism on Thursday at the airports in Hanover and Stuttgart, the public prosecutor’s office announced. One of the suspects is an 18-year-old man.
According to German prosecutors, the two men were allegedly preparing to travel to Syria to join the ranks of the terrorist organization Islamic State (IS), intending to carry out attacks later abroad. Both suspects have been placed in pre-trial detention.
Searches were also conducted at their residences in Kassel, central Germany, where authorities found a crossbow and IS propaganda materials. However, prosecutors stated that the German public was never under any direct threat.