Algerian in German custody suspected of Paris links
July 7, 2016
German prosecutors say they suspect an Algerian man already in police custody of being a member of the "Islamic State." The man allegedly provided information about the Balkan route to one of the Paris attackers.
Image: DW/B.Riegert
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German federal prosecutors suspect Bilal C. of being a member of the so-called "Islamic State." He allegedly helped Paris terror attack figure Abdelhamid Abaaoud travel through the Balkans along with migrants last year.
Prosecutors said the 20-year-old Algerian in June 2015 scouted for open borders, waiting times, refugee travel routes and smuggling opportunities along the widely used migrant route for the suspected ringleader of the November Paris attackers.
"The accused traveled from June to August 2015 from Syria via Turkey, Greece, Serbia and Hungary to Austria," informing Abaaoud along the way, prosecutors said. From Austria, the accused went to Germany.
Investigators said Bilal C. was already in custody in Germany "on another matter."
Abaaoud, a Belgian-Moroccan, was killed in a French police raid following the Paris attacks.
A number of the Paris attackers are believed to have snuck into Europe along with migrants. The terror network behind the Paris attacks is believed to also be connected to the March terror attacks in the Belgian capital Brussels.
The Algerian also allegedly informed Ayoub El Khazzani of trafficking and smuggling routes during his trip to western Europe. El Khazzani allegedly planned to carry out an attack with an assault weapon aboard a Paris-Amsterdam high-speed Thalys train in August 2015 before being subdued by passengers.
Bilal C. left Algeria in September 2014 to travel to Syria via Turkey, investigators said. By December 2014 he had joined IS and underwent weapons training. He has been in Germany since August 2015.
Investigators said there was no indication Bilal C. had been active with IS while in Germany.
Brussels, Istanbul, Jakarta: Global terror in 2016
The March 22 terror attack in Brussels was Europe's deadliest since the November 13 attacks in Paris that killed 130 people. DW takes a look at some of the major terrorist attacks across the globe in 2016.
Image: Reuters/F. Lenoir
Bombing in Istanbul: January 12
A suicide bombing on a popular square in Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, left 13 people dead and more than a dozen injured. Almost all of the dead were foreigners. The perpetrator was identified as Nabil Fadli, a Syrian devotee of the "Islamic State" (IS).
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/P. Kneffel
Jakarta bombings: January 14
Indonesian police commandos raided the house of a suspected terrorist in Cirebon, located on the island of Java, following the January 14, 2016, bomb attacks in Jakarta. A series of bombings in the capital left eight people dead and another 24 injured. IS claimed responsibility for the attack.
Image: Getty images/AFP/Str
Splendid Hotel attack: January 15
Al Qaeda-backed militants attacked the Splendid Hotel in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. At least 23 people from 18 countries were killed. A joint operation by French and Burkinabe forces freed many hostages.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/W. Elsen
Ankara bombing: February 17
Kurdistan Freedom Falcons claimed the attack on a convoy of buses, killing military personnel and civilians during the evening rush hour in Turkey's capital, Ankara. At least 29 people were killed and another 60 injured.
Image: Reuters/Ihlas News Agency
Hotel attack in Mogadishu: February 26
A suicide bomber rammed his car into a hotel in the Hamarweyne district of Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, and then gunmen stormed the building. The attack, by militants linked to al Shabab, killed at least 15 people and left dozens wounded.
Image: Reuters/F. Omar
Grand-Bassam shootings: March 13
Gunmen linked to al Qaeda's North Africa branch attacked the Etoile du Sud hotel in Grand Bassam, Ivory Coast. At least 18 people were killed and another 33 were injured. The hotel is popular with expats in Ivory Coast.
Image: Reuters/L. Gnago
Ankara bombing: March 13
A car filled with explosives blew up in a public square in the heart of the Turkish capital, killing 37 people and injuring 127. The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons claimed responsibility.
Image: Reuters/U. Bektas
Brussels bombings: March 22
At least 34 people were killed and more than 170 injured in coordinated attacks in Brussels. Two blasts occurred at the departures area of Brussels Airport at about 8 a.m. One hour later, an explosion hit Maelbeek metro station, which is close to the main EU buildings.
