Sweden: Two Syrians plotted attack on church

Wikimedia Commons, Copyright © Roar Johansen, CC BY-SA 3.0

Two Syrian brothers plotted to commit an attack with explosives on a church. No details were given on the exact target of the attack. Both brothers are now in custody.

The target was an unspecified church in Sweden, where people should have gathered at the time of the planned attack. Investigators did not disclose further details. The two Syrians, who arrived in Germany separately in 2015, are in custody in Hamburg.

The two men are accused of preparing a serious act of violence threatening the state. Initially, investigators had only assumed terrorism financing and aiding and abetting a planned explosives attack, as they had not known of a specific target for the attack.

The two men were already arrested at the end of April for the planned attack with an explosive belt, but an arrest warrant was only issued for the older of the two brothers. Now, however, the younger one has also been arrested, as investigators have discovered that he was much more involved in the crime than initially thought. He helped his older brother with the preparations and obtained materials to manufacture the explosives.

During a search of the home of the two, as well as several contacts of the brothers, investigators found extensive evidence such as chemicals and cell phones. The investigation is ongoing.

https://exxpress.at/zwei-syrer-planten-anschlag-auf-kirche/