Three arrested in attempted car bomb attack on Cologne cathedral

‘Terrorists and their networks are currently very active and are trying to regroup’

GERMAN police arrested three suspects yesterday in a planned New Year’s Eve terror attack on Cologne cathedral, which was reportedly to be carried out in a car loaded with explosives.

Officers had first been informed of an attack planned for Christmas Eve and patrolled the cathedral with machine guns up until New Year’s Eve, when they intercepted the group. The detainees, also from Tajik, had planned to use a car by means of attack but Cologne police said “in which way is not known”.

Officers had deployed sniffer dogs to search the underground parking of the cathedral for explosives but they did not discover anything suspicious.

The suspects were detained in the cities of Duisburg, Herne and Dueren in the state of North Rhine-westphalia, and their apartments were also searched in these areas. Bild Daily reported in December that the group had allegedly wanted to carry out attacks for Islamic State-khorasan (ISK), an Isis offshoot in Afghanistan.

The group had become involved with an extremist network in Germany, Austria and Spain, according to German prosecutors and the Federal Intelligence Service.

The three suspects are believed to be linked to another Tajik national, 30, who was arrested on Christmas Eve, according to Cologne police. The 30-year-old was also detained by German police on the same day as Austria announced the arrests of another three suspects in Vienna. Security measures were increased in Cologne with around 1,000 police officers deployed yesterday.

Herbert Reul, the state interior minister, said “terrorists and their networks are currently very active and are trying to regroup. Police are out and about with all their strength and capabilities”.

However, Mr Reul told residents they were safe to go ahead with New Year plans, as revelers began celebrating the end of 2023. Mr Reul added: “Islamist terror is still a threat on German streets.

“However, it would be wrong to panic. I say: Celebrate! Behave yourselves!

“Take care – and enjoy the transition into the new year.”

Germany has been on high alert in recent weeks over possible Islamist attacks, with the country’s domestic intelligence chief warning in late November that the Israel-hamas war had increased the risk of such assaults.