BERLIN (AP) — An alleged Islamic extremist has been arrested in connection with plotting an attack on German soldiers during their lunch break in Munich, killing as many of them as possible and causing a feeling of insecurity among the larger population, authorities said Friday.
The 27-year-old Syrian is a suspected supporter of radical Islamic ideology, according to the Munich public prosecutor’s office. It said that the suspect procured two machetes, each about 40 centimeters (15.75 inches) long, earlier this month, and allegedly planned to attack the soldiers with them.
The suspect was brought before a judge on Friday following his arrest a day earlier, the prosecutor's office said in a statement. His name was not released in line with German privacy rules.
The arrest comes after an Aug. 23 attack in Solingen that left three people dead and eight wounded. A 26-year-old Syrian suspect was arrested. He was an asylum-seeker who was supposed to be deported to Bulgaria last year but reportedly disappeared for a time and avoided deportation. The Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility for the violence, without providing evidence.
The violence left Germany shaken and pushed immigration back to the top of the country’s political agenda. In response, the interior ministry extended temporary border controls to all of its nine frontiers this week. The closures are set to last six months and are threatening to test European unity.
A police car drives on the grounds of the Upper Franconia barracks, in Hof, Germany. Investigators in Bavaria have arrested a 27-year-old Syrian man for planning to attack Bundeswehr soldiers in Upper Franconia. (Pia Bayer/dpa via AP)
A German flag flies at the entrance to the Upper Franconia barracks, in Hof, Germany. Investigators in Bavaria have arrested a 27-year-old Syrian man for planning to attack Bundeswehr soldiers in Upper Franconia. (Pia Bayer/dpa via AP)
A German flag flies at the entrance to the Upper Franconia barracks, in Hof, Germany. Investigators in Bavaria have arrested a 27-year-old Syrian man for planning to attack Bundeswehr soldiers in Upper Franconia. (Pia Bayer/dpa via AP)
THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — A marble statue of a woman believed to be more than 2,000 years old was found abandoned in a garbage bag near the Greek city of Thessaloniki, police said Wednesday.
A resident discovered the 80-centimeter (31-inch) headless statue beside a trash bin in Neoi Epivates, outside Greece’s second-largest city. The man turned it over to local authorities, who contacted archaeologists to assess its significance.
Police said experts, following an initial evaluation, determined the piece dates to the Hellenistic era, a period roughly between 320 and 30 B.C. that was marked by a flourishing of art and culture following the conquests of Alexander the Great.
The statue was sent for further examination by archaeologists. It will ultimately be handed over to the local antiquities authority for preservation and study.
Police opened an investigation to determine who discarded the statue and briefly detained a man for questioning who was later released without charge.
Accidental archaeological discoveries are relatively common in Greece, a country renowned for its ancient heritage, and often made during building construction or public works. In December, workers installing natural gas pipelines near Athens uncovered a Roman-era statue of Hermes buried upright in a brick-lined pit near the Acropolis.
Thessaloniki weeks ago unveiled a trove of antiquities found during the decades-long construction of its metro system, which officially opened in November. Key finds, including a marble-paved Roman thoroughfare and tens of thousands of artifacts spanning the Greek, Byzantine, and Ottoman periods, are now showcased at subway stations.
This undated handout photo provided by the Greek Police and released on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 shows a marble statue of a woman believed to be more than 2,000 years old which was found abandoned in a garbage bag in the northern city of Thessaloniki, Greece. (Greek Police via AP)