German soldier arrested on suspicion of terrorism

A German soldier has been arrested because he is suspected to have posed as a Syrian refugee under a false name and planned a "false-flag" attack to discredit refugees, German media reported on Friday.

The soldier was arrested Wednesday for planning a "state-threatening act of violence" and a violation against the firearms laws, the public prosecutor's office in Frankfurt said, suspecting xenophobia as the motive.

Before the arrest, the suspect tried to retrieve a pistol hidden in the service shaft of a bathroom in Vienna's international airport and was temporarily detained by the Austrian police.

According to the public prosecutor's office, the soldier is suspected to plan an attack with the weapon he had deposited at the airport.

Investigators also obtained voice messages between the soldier's suspected accomplice, a 24-year-old student who was also arrested, that point towards racist attitudes. Weapons were also found in the student's apartment.

The soldier, stationed at Illkirch in France, began a double-life when he registered as a Syrian refugee in December 2015. He was granted asylum following his application in January 2016 in Bavaria, and received financial benefits as well as a place in a refugee accommodation center. Endit