Two brothers have been arrested in Germany on suspicion of having planned a terrorist attack against a church in Sweden. According to terror researcher Hans Brun, this is part of the threat picture that exists against Sweden and Swedish interests.
– The Koran burnings are unfortunately part of that threat, he says.
According to Die Welt, a 28-year-old Syrian citizen and his four-year-younger brother were arrested about a month ago in Hamburg and Kempten in Bavaria, respectively.
According to the newspaper, there are possible Islamist motives, but the investigators see no direct connection to the terrorist sect IS.
– Terrorist financing can be quite banal and modest in terms of organizational skills. It doesn’t have to be a very advanced plot, says Brun.
“A primary goal”
That the suspected terror plans were aimed at a church does not surprise the terror expert.
– When we talk about jihadi perpetrators and perpetrators, we know that churches, synagogues and Shiite mosques are a primary target for this type of movement.
During the crackdown on the home in Hamburg, the police allegedly found chemicals and fertilizers that could be used to make an explosive charge.
– These chemicals and the fertilizer are things that could theoretically be used to construct an explosive charge.
Furthermore, Brun believes that the amount of chemicals found in the home will be decisive for the investigation.
– The question is how much of these chemicals were there. I think it’s worth emphasizing that these chemicals are fairly easy to come by.
As there is an ongoing investigation in Germany, we still know very little about the incident, Brun points out.
“Risk of them remaining undetected”
This is the second case this year where people have been arrested on suspicion of terrorist plots in which the Koran burnings are listed as a possible motive.
At the beginning of April, five people were arrested in several places in Sweden on suspicion of inciting terrorist crimes.
– Since the jihadist environment, just like the far-right, uses lone actors, there is a fairly clear and large risk that they remain undetected by the authorities.
At the same time, he emphasizes that the Swedish authorities are aware of this type of event.