Five men were detained by German officials on Saturday on suspicion of being involved in an Islamist conspiracy to run a car over people at a Christmas market.
According to a statement from police and prosecutors, one Egyptian, three Moroccans, and a Syrian were arrested on Friday in connection with the plot to carry out the assault in southern Bavaria state.
According to the statement, the 56-year-old Egyptian allegedly called at a mosque to carry out an attack "using a vehicle in order to kill or injure as many people as possible" on a market in the Dingolfing-Landau region.
The Syrian, 37, allegedly persuaded the Moroccans, ages 30, 28, and 22, to carry out the attack. The plot is suspected to have "an Islamist motive" by investigators.
Following their arrest, all of the suspects were taken before a magistrate on Saturday and are currently being held. Following a car-ramming attack on a market in the city of Magdeburg last year that left six people dead and hundreds injured, German officials have been on high alert for attacks on Christmas markets.
