German police hunt ten bomb plot suspects

Updated 12.20 Thu Sep 06 2007

Keywords: al-Qaeda, plot, Germany

Ten men are being hunted by German police after a "massive" attack linked to al-Qaeda was foiled by security services.

The plot to target US installations in the country emerged on Wednesday when three men - two Germans and one Turk - were arrested.

Those held had reportedly accumulated vast amounts of bomb-making chemicals and military grade detonators in preparation for an attack

August Hanning, state secretary in the country's Interior Ministry, said: "They are Germans, Turks and there are other nationalities as well. This is the network we have identified."

Those held had reportedly accumulated vast amounts of bomb-making chemicals and military grade detonators in preparation for an attack.

All three had allegedly trained in militant camps in Pakistan before forming a domestic cell of the al-Qaeda-linked "Islamic Jihad Union" - a Sunni Muslim group with roots in Uzbekistan.

Bavarian Interior Minister Guenther Beckstein said: "Germany has become a priority target for al-Qaeda."