German police arrest 3 more over alleged Cologne Cathedral attack plot

Cologne, Germany - The German police on Dec 31 detained three more suspects in an alleged plot to

attack Germany’s famed Cologne Cathedral

on New Year’s Eve, the authorities said.

The alleged attackers had planned to use a car to attack the 800-year-old Gothic edifice by the Rhine river, Cologne police director Frank Wissbaum told a news conference.

The method of the planned attack was unclear, but an underground carpark below the cathedral had been searched with explosives sniffer dogs overnight, he told reporters.

“The three people are now securely in custody, which we are very glad about since they can no longer communicate with one another,” he said.

Mr Wissbaum said investigators had found evidence late on Dec 30 that linked the three to a 30-year-old Tajik man with alleged ties to the Islamic State militant movement and who has been in custody since Dec 24.

The federal authorities were continuing their investigation into what he termed a “network of individuals” from Central Asia with links to several German states and European countries.

No details were given on the identities or background of the people now in custody.

The suspects were detained in the western cities of Duisburg, Herne and Noervenich, the police said, and communications devices were seized during searches of their apartments.

Security had been stepped up in and around the cathedral ahead of a New Year’s Eve service. The police had advised the public not to be concerned if they saw officers carrying machine guns and body armour.

Thousands of extra police also patrolled in Berlin, where celebrations in 2022 were overshadowed by violent clashes, with revellers barracking first responders attempting to reach the sick.

The police in the capital were also on guard after a pro-Palestinian solidarity demonstration scheduled for midnight was banned. Many Muslims in Germany are unhappy with the support shown for Tel Aviv in its war against Hamas. REUTERS