German police launched a major raid on 54 suspected terrorist locations Tuesday in search of Islamic State adherents believed to be involved planning an attack.
The operation took place in the western state of Hesse, and targeted a 36-year-old Tunisian man who was arrested in Frankfurt around 4 a.m. local time, according to a report from BNO news. Authorities accused the man of recruiting and smuggling on behalf of the terrorist group, and believe he created a cell of supporters in the area.
Hessian state police said in a statement that 1,100 police officers were involved in the massive raid, which targeted various mosques, businesses, and homes across the area. The suspects are said to range in age from 16 to 46, but it is unclear how many people were arrested in total.
Police believe the ISIS cell planning was in the early stages, and that a target had yet to be chosen.
The operation followed a Tuesday raid in Berlin, which led to the arrest of three suspected ISIS members who were believed to be planning an attack. Police also raided Berlin’s “Fussilet” mosque, a known hotbed of extremism frequented by ISIS terrorist Anis Amri before he killed 11 Germans at a Christmas market in December.
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