German police arrest fugitive Syrian bomb suspect

Publisher	Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Publication Date	10 October 2016
Cite as	Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, German police arrest fugitive Syrian bomb suspect, 10 October 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5975a0bc9.html [accessed 29 May 2023]
Disclaimer	This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

October 10, 2016

A German policeman holds a picture of Jaber Al-Bakr.

German police have arrested a Syrian man accused of planning a bomb attack, ending a two-day manhunt.

Police in the city of Leipzig said in a tweet on October 10 that Jaber Al-Bakr, 22, had been arrested overnight.

Bakr had arrived in Germany as a refugee last year.

A spokeswoman for a prosecutor's office described the investigation of Bakr's activities as planning for an "Islamist-motivated attack."

Police had been searching for Bakr since they stormed his apartment in Chemnitz on October 8 and found a "virtual bomb-making lab."

Police said even a small quantity of the TATP explosive material found in the apartment "could have caused enormous damage."

Bakr narrowly escaped the police raid. Leipzig is about 80 kilometers from Chemnitz.

German security sources have said Bakr was known by intelligence officials and was thought to be connected to Islamic extremist groups.

At least three other men believed to be associated with Bakr were detained on October 8 and questioned. Two have since been released.

Spiegel Online said Bakr entered Germany in February 2015 and was granted asylum four months later.

Some 890,000 migrants arrived in Germany in 2015, many of whom fled the ongoing conflict in Syria.

Based on reporting by Reuters, dpa, and the BBC