German authorities arrest Libyan man suspected of planning attack on Israeli Embassy

BERLIN (AP) — German authorities said Sunday that they have arrested a Libyan national with suspected ties to the extremist Islamic State group who was allegedly planning a firearms attack on the Israeli Embassy.

Police and other security forces detained the man on Saturday evening in Bernau, a town just outside of Berlin, and searched his home there, the Federal Prosecutor's Office said in a statement.

The prosecutor’s office said the suspect was a Libyan national whom they identified only as Omar A.

“He intended to carry out a high-profile attack with firearms on the Israeli Embassy in Berlin,” the statement said. In his planning, the statement added, “the accused exchanged information with a member of IS in a messenger chat.”

Security forces also searched the home of another person who is considered a witness and not a suspect, the prosecutor's statement said.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said that German security authorities "struck in time to thwart possible plans to attack the Israeli Embassy in Berlin."

“This shows that protecting Jewish and Israeli institutions in our country is vital and of the utmost importance to us,” she added.

The suspect brought on Sunday before an investigating judge at the country’s highest court, the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe.

Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor thanked the German security authorities “for ensuring the security of our embassy,” German news agency dpa reported.

News of the case first came from the Bild newspaper, which reported that a heavily armed elite police unit stormed the suspect’s home in Bernau. It said German authorities acted after receiving a tipoff from an unspecified foreign intelligence agency.

“We are acting with the utmost vigilance and attention in view of the high threat posed by Islamist, antisemitic and anti-Israel violence,” Faeser said.

According to Bild, the suspect is a 28-year-old who arrived in Germany in November 2022 and applied for asylum. Dpa reported that his asylum request was rejected.

Justice Minister Marco Buschmann also warned Sunday of a “very serious” threat of Islamist terrorism in Germany. “Israeli institutions are particularly often the target of terrorists,” he told dpa.

A sharp increase in antisemitic incidents has been recorded in Germany since Hamas' attack on Israeli on Oct. 7, 2023, which triggered the ongoing wars in the Middle East.

Police officers stand by the Israeli embassy in Berlin, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (Paul Zinken/dpa via AP)

Police officers stand by the Israeli embassy in Berlin, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (Paul Zinken/dpa via AP)

Police officers escort a Libyan national with suspected ties to the extremist group Islamic State who was allegedly planning an attack on the Israeli Embassy in Berlin, in Karlsruhe, Germany, Sunday Oct. 20, 2024. (Rene Priebe/dpa via AP)

FILE - The Israel Embassy in Berlin, May 9, 2001. (AP Photo/Jockel Finck, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — The WNBA Finals have come down to a winner-take-all Game 5 on Sunday night with both New York and Minnesota looking to make history.

The Liberty are looking for their first title having lost in the Finals five times. The team was one of the original eight franchises when the league began in 1997 and is the only one left of that group not to have won it all. A win by the Lynx would give them five championships and break a tie with Seattle and Houston for the most in WNBA history.

This is the first time since 2019 that the WNBA Finals have gone the distance. Since the league switched to a best-of-five format in 2005, seven other series have gone to a Game 5 and the home team has won five of those contests, including in 2019.

Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve has been a part of six of those winner-take-all games. She's had mixed success splitting a pair as an assistant with the Detroit Shock in 2006 and 2007. She won two of three with Minnesota in 2015-2017.

Next season the WNBA has announced it will use a seven-game series to determine the champion.

This series has been a fitting conclusion to a record-breaking season for the league. The first four games of the series have come down to the last few possessions and have included an overtime game and a last-second shot, which have led to record ratings.

The first three games each had over a million viewers on average, with the audience growing for each contest. They also have had huge crowds in attendance.

New York expects no difference Sunday night with tickets a hot commodity.

AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) celebrates their victory over the New York Liberty after Game 4 of a WNBA basketball final playoff series, Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in Minneapolis. The Lynx won 82-80, forcing a Game 5 in the series. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) reacts after missing a shot at the buzzer during the second half of Game 4 of a WNBA basketball final playoff series, Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in Minneapolis. The Lynx won 82-80, forcing a Game 5 in the series. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams (10) reacts after defeating the New York Liberty after Game 4 of a WNBA basketball final playoff series, Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in Minneapolis. The Lynx won 82-80, forcing a Game 5 in the series. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)