Germany says foils Islamist plot to attack Christmas market

German authorities said on Saturday (December 13, 2025) they had arrested five men on suspicion of involvement in an Islamist plot to plough a vehicle into people at a Christmas market.

An Egyptian, three Moroccans and a Syrian were detained on Friday (December 12, 2025) over the plan to carry out the attack in southern Bavaria state, police and prosecutors said in a statement.

The Egyptian, aged 56, allegedly called in a mosque for an attack to be carried out on a market in the Dingolfing-Landau district “using a vehicle in order to kill or injure as many people as possible”, according to the statement.

The Moroccans — aged 30, 28 and 22 — allegedly then agreed to carry out the attack while the Syrian, 37, encouraged them.

Investigators suspect “an Islamist motive” for the plot.

All the suspects were brought before a magistrate on Saturday after their arrest and are in custody.

German authorities have been on high alert for attacks on Christmas markets after a car ramming attack last year on a market in the city of Magdeburg killed six and wounded hundreds.