German police arrested three suspected al-Qaeda members Friday, thus avoiding the "an imminent danger and concrete" of a terrorist operation, authorities said.
The Bild newspaper CITES safety as sources stating that the three, all young Moroccans, were arrested in Duesseldorf and Bochum. He said police seized large quantities of explosives.
"We succeeded in preventing a concrete and imminent danger", Minister of the Interior Hans-Peter Friedrich said in a statement. "This proves that the Germany continues to be in the crosshairs of international terrorists, and we must remain vigilant."
Police and federal prosecutors had been studying the three since April 15 on the alleged membership in an organization terrorist and other costs.
European countries have taken with militant threats for years, regularly arresting individuals or groups suspected of planning any fear attacks may reflect the attacks in Madrid in 2004 and London in 2005, which killed more than 200 people.
Germany has been largely spared similar violence, even if it has been the target of threats on the Web sites of Islamists and responsible security have issued warnings that militants sleeper cells may be present in the country.
Berlin saw its territory as a potential target because it has almost 5,000 members stationed in Afghanistan, the third largest contingent of the international force of 150,000 fight against the insurgency led by the Taliban.
Last November, the Interior Ministry tightened security at stations and airports potential targets after he said he learned of a plot, although increased alerts were lifted later.
MILITARY BASES
Activists have also focused on the Germany his role as host to the largest military bases in Europe U.S..
In March, a gunman shot dead two U.S. Airmen and wounded two others at Frankfurt airport, during an attack prosecutors said was probably motivated by anger over the war in Afghanistan.
The three men arrested Friday were to appear before an investigating judge on Saturday, and a press conference was scheduled for 11: 00 (0900 GMT) at the headquarters of the Federal Prosecutor in Karlsruhe on the same day.
Bild said that the arrests were made at the police became suspicious after mobile phones and computers of suspects.
He said that the large amount of explosives recovered included acetone, a volatile substance that is popular with activists since it can easily pass through detectors typically designed to locate nitrogenous compounds.
ZDF German television station, said the three were all German nationals, of which one was formed abroad and he had been arrested before they could finish building a bomb.
Police did not confirm the report Bild that the suspects were Moroccans, or say if the arrests were related to an explosion in a cafe in the city of Marrakech Moroccan Thursday in which 15 people were killed.
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