Members of the far-right group arrested in Germany on Friday as part of a comprehensive counterterrorism investigation were planning large-scale attacks on Christchurch-style mosques, German media reported on Sunday evening.
Read also: Germany: investigation into plans for far-right attacks, 12 arrests
According to Der Spiegel magazine and the daily Bild , the group, whose twelve members were detained on Saturday after searches throughout Germany on Friday, wanted to strike Muslim places of worship during prayer.
They planned to imitate the attack in Christchurch, New Zealand, which killed 51 people in two mosques last year. They intended to use semi-automatic weapons in particular.
Read also: The shock after the attack on two mosques in New Zealand
Knives, crossbows, grenades, rifle ...
The alleged leader of the group, known and monitored for several months by the authorities, had detailed his plans at a meeting organized with his accomplices last week. Investigators learned about it from an informer who had infiltrated the group, the two newspapers said.
The investigators found, during the searches carried out in 13 places distributed over five regional States, " knives ", " crossbows ", " grenades ", but also a " shotgun " and a " pistol ".
Four of those arrested are suspected of having formed " a far-right terrorist association " while the other eight are suspected of having provided them with " financial " support or " assistance in obtaining weapons ", according to the parquet. Among the suspects, all of German nationality, is a police officer from North Rhine-Westphalia who has been suspended. According to Bild , his goal was to " start a civil war " in the country.
Fear of far-right terrorism
German authorities have been concerned about far-right terrorism since the murder of a pro-migrant German elected member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's party last June.
Read also: Germany fears the resurgence of neo-Nazi violence
In October, a right-wing extremist Holocaust denier attempted to carry out an attack in a synagogue in Halle, a massacre being only barely avoided. Unable to enter the religious building in which the faithful had barricaded themselves, he had shot a passerby and the client of a kebab sandwich restaurant, broadcasting his packages live on the internet. His trial is expected soon.
Read also: Germany: suspect of the anti-Semitic attack in Halle arrested
In Dresden, in the former GDR, eight neo-Nazis have also been on trial for almost five months for planning attacks against foreigners and politicians.
Read also: In Germany, a neo-Nazi group tried for terrorist attacks
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