According to German domestic intelligence, the threat of Islamist terrorist attacks in Germany is currently significantly greater than in previous years, partly as a result of the Gaza war.
“The risk of jihadist attacks is greater than it has been in a long time,” the head of domestic intelligence services, Thomas Haldenwang, told dpa.
Haldenwang stated that the risk of seizures has increased due to several factors. He emphasized the threat posed by radicalized individuals.
In addition, he mentioned the influence of the Islamic Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, as well as the strengthening of the Islamic State’s offshoot, the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The burning of the Quran in Scandinavia and Israel’s military operation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip were also cited by Haldenwang as contributing to the ‘radicalization spiral’.
“The situation in the Middle East following the terrorist attack by Hamas certainly contributes to the increased threat posed by Islamist terrorism,” Haldenwang said.
“Germany is more the focus of jihadists’ attention than other European countries because our country, along with the US, is considered one of Israel’s main supporters.”
In May, a 25-year-old Afghan man wounded five people with a knife during a rally organized by the anti-Islam movement Pax Europa in the southwestern German city of Mannheim. He also stabbed a police officer, who later died from the injuries. Investigators suspect that the motive behind the attack may be related to Islamist extremism.
“The security situation is very tense,” Haldenwang said, adding that his agency had never underestimated the threat of Islamist terrorism.
Haldenwang said Germany currently faces three major challenges: the threat of Islamist terrorism, the rise of right-wing extremism that contributes to social tensions, and the influence and espionage activities of foreign states.
In addition, there is the threat of increasingly violent left-wing extremism, he added.
