German police arrest planning terrorist attack suspect

German investigators have arrested an 18-year-old man at the German-Austrian border near Passau who allegedly planned an Islamist-motivated attack in Frankfurt, reported dpa.

The German man had wanted to travel to Iraq to join the terrorist militia Islamic State there, the State Criminal Police Office (LKA) in Wiesbaden and the public prosecutor's office in Frankfurt jointly announced on Thursday.

The man is suspected of having prepared to carry out a serious act of violence endangering the state. He obtained construction plans for explosive and incendiary devices, among other things.

According to the report, he also wanted to obtain a fully automatic weapon in order to kill as many people as possible during his attack.

The authorities had been on the trail of the man since the summer. During a first house search last August, IS flags were seized, among other things.

Undercover investigators found out afterwards that the man initially gave up his planned attack for fear of being discovered. Instead, he wanted to join Islamic State to "slaughter infidels" and "fight against state institutions," according to the statement.

After a car journey monitored by the LKA, the accused was arrested on Wednesday shortly before reaching the border at a motorway service area near Passau. He is due to appear before a magistrate in Frankfurt on Thursday.