BERLIN—German officials reported on Monday that they had arrested a fifth person in connection with the purported plot, this one in relation to an alleged threat of an assault on the renowned Cologne Cathedral over the holidays.
The most recent suspect, a 41-year-old German-Turkish male, was taken into custody on Sunday night in the North Rhine-Westphalian state's western city of Bochum.
This past week, police arrested one guy and three individuals on Sunday morning. According to Johannes Hermanns, the chief of Cologne police, all of the detained suspects are reportedly part of a bigger network of Islamic extremists that includes persons in Germany and other European nations (German news agency dpa reported).
The other four suspects were being held in other North Rhine-Westphalian cities. A 30-year-old Tajik guy was recognized as the person who was arrested last week. The three who were taken into custody early on Sunday morning were not identified.
According to local media, the attack was planned to be executed on New Year's Eve using an explosive-laden automobile.
During a press conference on Sunday, Cologne police stated that they had examined the cathedral's subterranean parking garage and used explosives detecting dogs, but they had not discovered anything. Additionally, the subterranean garage's entry and exit had been examined for any unusual activity.
Herbert Reul, the interior minister for North Rhine-Westphalia, hailed the most recent detentions as a "success, for which I would like to thank the investigators" on Sunday.
According to Mr. Reul, the Catholic cathedral was a prominent target for Islamic extremists, who have always been active but are now more active than usual, according to dpa. He went on, "The police always try to be a few steps ahead."
Not long before Christmas, the police had learned of a planned terrorist attack on the Cologne Cathedral.
Due to a threat, the city's historic cathedral has been placed under strict security and has not been open to visitors since Christmas Eve.
