- Title: German police detain three in Chemnitz manhunt, find explosives
- Date: 8th October 2016
- Summary: DRESDEN, GERMANY (OCTOBER 8, 2016) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF SAXONY STATE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OFFICE ENTRANCE SIGN (SOUNDBITE) (German) SAXONY STATE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OFFICE SPOKESPERSON, KATHLEN ZINK, SAYING: "We got a tip-off from the domestic intelligence service that there is a person, who is suspected to be planning a bomb attack. We then started a large police operation in Chemnitz, in the Fritz-Heckert neighbourhood, there is an apartment, where the person was suspected to be. Therefore the area was cordoned-off, the area was evacuated and police entered the apartment. We haven't found the suspect, but highly critical explosives. At the moment the bomb squad at the scene is preparing to secure the explosives. However, it could be possible that more evacuations are needed." SECURITY CAMERA (SOUNDBITE) (German) SAXONY STATE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OFFICE SPOKESPERSON, KATHLEN ZINK, SAYING: "There were three temporary arrests, two at the train station and one in the Fritz-Heckert neighbourhood. The detained persons are under suspicion of being linked with the suspect somehow, therefore they are being questioned and identified at the moment, we are going to see if further investigation findings will come out of it." GATE INTO SAXONY STATE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OFFICE (SOUNDBITE) (German) SAXONY STATE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OFFICE SPOKESPERSON, KATHLEN ZINK, SAYING: "I have no further information, it's right that the temporarily detained persons had backpacks or luggage with them, of course we are having a look at what is in there." GATE INTO OFFICE (SOUNDBITE) (German) SAXONY STATE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OFFICE SPOKESPERSON, KATHLEN ZINK, SAYING: "I don't have any information about the background and the potential targets for the attacks yet." FENCE (SOUNDBITE) (German) SAXONY STATE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OFFICE SPOKESPERSON, KATHLEN ZINK, SAYING: "We have started to appeal to the public today, the Syrian man we are searching for is Jaber Albakr, he is the suspect and we hope to detain him with our investigations." ENTRANCE TO OFFICE
- Embargoed: 23rd October 2016 17:09
- Keywords: Chemnitz bomb attack manhunt Syrian man
- Location: DRESDEN, GERMANY
- City: DRESDEN, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice
- Reuters ID: LVA0015359KCN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: German police hunting for a Syrian-born man suspected of planning a bomb attack found explosives in an apartment they raided while looking for him on Saturday (October 8), officials said.
Police appealed to the public to call them with any information on Jaber Albakr, 22, who was last seen in the eastern city of Chemnitz wearing a black hooded top with a bright pattern on the front.
"The search for the suspect is ongoing," Saxony state police tweeted. "At the moment, however, we do not know where he is and what he is carrying with him. Be careful."
Police detained three people in Chemnitz who they said were known to Albakr, but he remained at large.
"They are being questioned and identified at the moment, we are going to see if further investigation findings will come out of it," said Kathlen Zink, spokesperson for the Saxony state criminal investigation office.
The police did not immediately find the several hundred grammes of explosives when searching the apartment as they were well hidden.
Hundreds of police including specialist commandos combed a residential area in Chemnitz looking for Albakr.
The police deployment followed a tip-off from the domestic intelligence service, though the targets of the planned attack remained unclear, said Zink.
Police asked local residents to remain indoors and began evacuating more people after discovering the explosives.
In late July, Islamic State claimed responsibility for attacks on a train near Wuerzburg and at a music festival in Ansbach which wounded 20 people. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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