COVID-19 gives Daesh chance to revive in Europe

Moaz Mohamed

At the beginning of the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis worldwide, the terrorist organization of Daesh has issued a false statement that it will pause its terrorist operation, while in fact, it was rearranging its rows to strike again, taking advantage of the preoccupation of governments with combating the pandemic.

Germany has detained five suspected Daesh members alleged to be planning an attack on U.S. military facilities and an unidentified individual.

Prosecutors said four of the suspects, all from Tajikistan, were arrested early on April 15 in the city of Siegen and in the towns of Heinsberg and Werdohl in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

The fifth suspect, also a Tajik national believed to be the leader of the terror cell, was already in custody after being detained in March 2019.

The men joined Daesh in January 2019 and were instructed by the terrorist group to form a cell in Germany, prosecutors said.

The suspects reportedly first planned to carry out an attack in their native Tajikistan, but later shifted their target to Germany, including U.S. Air Force bases in the country.

“Targets for the attacks were supposed to be institutions of U.S. forces in Germany or even individual people,” prosecutors said in a statement.

While the attacks were not planned for the immediate future, the group had already acquired firearms and ammunition, as well as secured directions and precursors for making a bomb from the Internet, the statement said.

The men are alleged to have been in contact with two high-ranking Daesh figures in Syria and Afghanistan.

Germany’s security services estimate there are around 11,000 Islamic radicals in Germany, some 680 who are deemed particularly dangerous and capable of using violence, representing a five-fold increase since 2013.

Around 150 of these potentially dangerous individuals have been detained for various offences.