[ May 3, 2026 ]
Police arrested five further jihad suspects in an Islamic terror plot to attack Germany’s famed Cologne Cathedral on New Year’s Eve, authorities said.
Begun in 1248, the construction of this Gothic masterpiece took place in several stages and was not completed until 1880. Over seven centuries, successive builders were inspired by the same faith and a spirit of absolute fidelity to the original plans. Apart from its exceptional intrinsic value and the artistic masterpieces it contains, Cologne Cathedral testifies to the enduring strength of European Christianity. (World Heritage site.)
German authorities said Monday they detained another suspect in connection with an alleged threat of an attack on the world-famous Cologne Cathedral over the holidays, bringing the overall number of people detained in connection with the alleged plot to five.
ADVERTISEMENTThe latest suspect, a 41-year-old German-Turkish man, was detained Sunday night in the western city of Bochum in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Police detained three people on Sunday morning and one man last week. All of the detained suspects allegedly belong to a larger Islamic extremist network that included people across Germany and in other European countries, according to Cologne police chief Johannes Hermanns, German news agency dpa reported.
The other four suspects were detained in different cities across North Rhine-Westphalia. The one who was detained last week was identified as a 30-year-old Tajik man. No details were given for the three who were detained Sunday morning.
The attack was supposed to have been carried out on New Year’s Eve with a car loaded with explosives, local media reported.
The Cologne Cathedral, a stunning Gothic church and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Germany.pic.twitter.com/WJ4igANhip
— Sara (@21xsara) December 26, 2023
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The Cologne Cathedral took over six centuries to build and has survived several destructive wars.
Is there any other cathedral in the world that encapsulates such a blend of endurance, history, and architectural splendor? pic.twitter.com/TeEcnJQwDq
— Architecture & Tradition (@archi_tradition) December 31, 2023
German police thwart suspected Islamist attack on Cologne Cathedral on New Year’s Eve
Suspects with links to an Afghanistan offshoot of ISIS arrested, festivities expected to continue uninterrupted, but with significantly increased security measures
By Agencies and ToI Staff 31 December 2023:
German police arrested three people on Sunday over an alleged attack plot targeting the cathedral in Cologne on New Year’s Eve.
The “alleged means of attack” is a car, said police in the western city, adding that security measures have been stepped up around the site.
The three suspects are believed to be linked to a Tajik who was arrested on Christmas Eve, said Cologne police chief Johannes Hermann.
The Tajik was detained by German police on the same day, as Austria announced the arrests of another three suspects in Vienna.
ADVERTISEMENT“Islamist people and groups” are “more active than ever at the moment,” warned Herbert Reul, interior minister of North Rhine-Westphalia state, where Cologne is located.
Investigations following the Tajik’s arrest a week back had found that there was a plot to deploy a car as a means of attack, but “in which way is not known to us,” said Frank Wissbaum of Cologne police.
Officers had deployed sniffer dogs to search the underground parking of the cathedral for explosives, but they have not yet turned up anything suspicious.
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