Police in the western German city of Duisburg on Tuesday arrested a man who was allegedly planning a terror attack, multiple German media outlets reported.

The man was supposedly planning to attack a pro-Israel demonstration with a truck to which he had access, the publications Bild and Spiegel reported. 

What we know so far

The media reports said the suspect, Tarik S. had previously been sentenced to five years imprisonment by the Higher Regional Court in Düsseldorf in 2017 for membership of the terrorist organization "Islamic State."

Essen police said on their website on Tuesday evening that they had received "indications of a possible attack scenario." The tipoff was said to have come from a foreign security service.

It appeared that the 29-year-old had searched online for pro-Israel events and jihadi. It was unclear whether S. had already set his sights on a specific demo. The warning was apparently taken seriously and S. was arrested on the basis of police law on averting danger. 

The apartment of "a male person who was already known to the police in Duisburg’s Dellviertel" was then searched and a man taken into custody. 

The media reports said the suspect, Tarik S. had previously been sentenced to five years imprisonment by the Higher Regional Court in Düsseldorf in 2017 for membership of the terrorist organization "Islamic State."

However, Duisburg police on Tuesday evening said they could not confirm the identity of the suspect in custody. 

wd,rc/wmr (AP, dpa) 

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