Eating out, poor hand hygiene and erratic weather may be among causes, say medics
The number of Germans fighting alongside ISIS militants in Syria and Iraq has increased sharply to 550 and around 180 have returned, the head of Germany’s domestic intelligence said in a newspaper interview published on Sunday.
“We are concerned about the high number of departures. Especially in the last six weeks, it has risen further,” Hans-Georg Maassen told Welt am Sonntag.
“By now we are counting 550 people, that is how many have left Germany to go to Syria and Iraq,” he added. The previous number was 450 people.
Around 60 of them have been killed during fighting, with at least nine killing themselves in suicide attacks, Maassen said.
As with other Western European countries, Germany is struggling to stop the radicalisation of young Muslims, some of whom want to become militants in Syria or Iraq. Officials also worry that they might return to plot attacks on home soil.
Since Germany is part of the alliance fighting ISIS, the country is “naturally” a target for the militants as well as Al Qaeda members, Maassen said.
Intelligence services estimate that around 180 militants have returned to Germany after having fought in Syria and Iraq, Maassen said.
In one of the largest sweeps against alleged Islamists in Germany yet, authorities last week arrested nine men suspected of supporting militant groups in Syria and raided numerous properties in several German states.
Eating out, poor hand hygiene and erratic weather may be among causes, say medics
The goal-scoring striker is suffering from a muscle injury sustained during the Champions League quarter-final loss to Real Madrid
Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, made the announcement on Wednesday
6G will further elevate capabilities of robots, AI, autonomous transport and remote surgery/diagnostics among others
The Nobel laureate has been condemned for partnering with Hillary Clinton, an outspoken supporter of Israel's war against Hamas
Net profit (after tax) up 32% per cent y-o-y to Dh1.45 billion
Goalkeeper Eisa delivered a fantastic performance against Al Hilal to help Al Ain reach the final
Volunteers of the Samantha Kerala Sunni Student Federation used the machine to navigate challenging terrain