German police have arrested two people, reportedly a married couple with Islamic Salafist ties, suspected of planning an attack and found a bomb at their home, officials said Thursday.
Prosecutors said the explosive device found at the suspects' home in Oberursel near the financial capital, Frankfurt, was "ready for use".
Ammunition and components for an assault rifle were also discovered, the prosecutor's office in Frankfurt said, adding however there was so far no sign of concrete plans for an attack.
Local police confirmed to AFP they had made two arrests and that more locations were being searched, but did not provide further details.
National news agency DPA quoted the head of the regional interior ministers' conference Roger Lewentz as congratulating the western state of Hesse for "preventing a terror attack".
Germany's Die Welt daily earlier reported the arrest of a married couple, identified only as Halil and Senay D., saying they were believed to have links to Salafist and Islamic extremist groups.
They came to the attention of authorities last month when they purchased a large amount of hydrogen peroxide and methylated spirits that can be used to make explosives, giving a false name to the building supplies shop, the daily reported.
Die Welt said the couple had been under observation by a special police unit for several days.
It said investigators believed the male suspect had contact with the ultra-conservative Islamic Salafist community in Frankfurt, and Al-Qaeda.
Police decided to raid the home and arrest the couple after the man had been spotted walking through a nearby wooded area which will be part of the route of a cycle race on Friday, because they wanted to rule out any possible security threat to participants and onlookers.
Police and prosecutors were to hold a press conference later.
German police have arrested two people, reportedly a married couple with Islamic Salafist ties, suspected of planning an attack and found a bomb at their home, officials said Thursday.
Prosecutors said the explosive device found at the suspects’ home in Oberursel near the financial capital, Frankfurt, was “ready for use”.
Ammunition and components for an assault rifle were also discovered, the prosecutor’s office in Frankfurt said, adding however there was so far no sign of concrete plans for an attack.
Local police confirmed to AFP they had made two arrests and that more locations were being searched, but did not provide further details.
National news agency DPA quoted the head of the regional interior ministers’ conference Roger Lewentz as congratulating the western state of Hesse for “preventing a terror attack”.
Germany’s Die Welt daily earlier reported the arrest of a married couple, identified only as Halil and Senay D., saying they were believed to have links to Salafist and Islamic extremist groups.
They came to the attention of authorities last month when they purchased a large amount of hydrogen peroxide and methylated spirits that can be used to make explosives, giving a false name to the building supplies shop, the daily reported.
Die Welt said the couple had been under observation by a special police unit for several days.
It said investigators believed the male suspect had contact with the ultra-conservative Islamic Salafist community in Frankfurt, and Al-Qaeda.
Police decided to raid the home and arrest the couple after the man had been spotted walking through a nearby wooded area which will be part of the route of a cycle race on Friday, because they wanted to rule out any possible security threat to participants and onlookers.
Police and prosecutors were to hold a press conference later.
