Suspect arrested over plans to attack Muslims in Germany

21-year-old man was planning Christchurch-like attack of 2019 in New Zealand, according to German state prosecutors

BERLIN: German police arrested a 21-year-old man on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack against Muslims, officials announced on Monday.

The suspect talked about his plans during an anonymous internet chat last week, state prosecutor's office in the northern German city of Celle said in a statement.

He wanted to carry out an attack similar to the 2019 mosque shootings in New Zealand's Christchurch, to draw attention from the international media, the prosecutors said.

Police found arms, hard drives, far-right publications and documents, during searches at the apartment of the suspect in the northern city of Hildesheim.

Germany has witnessed growing racism and xenophobia in recent years, fueled by the propaganda of far-right and anti-Muslim groups, including the main opposition party Alternative for Germany (AfD).

Last year right-wing extremists killed a pro-refugee politician in Kassel and attacked a synagogue in Halle, raising alarms over far-right terror in the country.

In February, a far-right extremist attacked two cafes in Hanau, killing nine people with migration backgrounds.