News / Germany

Terror threat level high in Germany: Interior minister

Wednesday, 10 August 2016 3:24 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 10 August 2016 3:50 PM ]

German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere addresses media during his visit at a federal police headquarters in Bremen, Germany, August 10, 2016. ©Reuters

Germany is facing a significant threat of terrorist attacks, Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere says.

“We are living in difficult times. The terror threat is high and both the federal and state police are under strain,” the minister told reporters in Bremen on Wednesday while visiting a police headquarters.

He added that "the German government and states together are cracking down, carrying out searches early and energetically, to defend the population against threats."

German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere (R) is seen during his visit at a federal police headquarters in Bremen, Germany, August 10, 2016. ©Reuters

Germany is on high alert since July, when a spate of attacks killed 15 people, including four attackers, and left dozens injured.

On July 24, a 27-year-old Syrian refugee killed himself and injured 15 people outside a café in the city of Ansbach in Bavaria in southern Germany.

The Daesh terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack, saying the Syrian man was a recruit.

On July 18, a teenage refugee, who was registered as an Afghan asylum seeker but was believed to be a Pakistani national, injured four people using an ax and a knife on a train in Bavaria. The Daesh Takfiri group claimed responsibility for the attack.

A special police officer examines the scene after an explosion occurred in Ansbach, Germany, July 25, 2016. ©AP

In the same month, a teenager opened fire at people shopping at a mall in the city of Munich in the south, killing nine and injuring more than 35 others. Officials ruled out that the case was a terrorism issue.

Meanwhile, the interior minister is expected to propose a raft of new security measures, including speedier deportations and waiving doctor-patient confidentiality in some cases, according to German media.

The measures are reportedly based on a nine-point plan announced by Chancellor Angela Merkel to improve security following the attacks.

A spokesman for the Interior Ministry said the minister would present his plans on Thursday.

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