Jaber Albakr, 22, who was arrested in Germany for a suspected Islamic militant bomb plot killed himself in a prison cell in Leipzig on Wednesday, according to Saxony’s state Justice Ministry.
Justice Ministry spokesman Joerg Herold said Albakr killed himself sometime in the evening and the incident is still under investigation.
This development will surely raise pressure on state authorities. Saxony state officials have already been criticized for letting Albakr escape on Saturday as they prepared to raid an apartment in Chemnitz where he had been staying.
The suspected Islamic militant had been under German intelligence surveillance since last month. The authorities fired a warning shot when he was seen exiting the apartment building. Nevertheless, he was able to evade police on the scene and flee the city. Officers found highly volatile explosives and a home-made bomb vest inside the apartment.
Detained by fellow Syrians
Albakr was granted asylum after arriving in Germany last year. He was eventually arrested in Leipzig on Monday after three fellow Syrians tied him up and notified the police.
Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said earlier Wednesday that Albakr had undergone a security assessment. They did the evaluation last year but nothing suspicious turned up.
German authorities believe he had connections to the Islamic State group. Furthermore, as soon as this week, he was thought to be preparing to attack a Berlin airport.
According to reports from German media, after he first came to Germany, Albakr returned to Syria through Turkey and then went back to Germany. That part was also being investigated and De Maiziere said he would not comment on it.
The three Syrians who captured the suspect, in response to calls for their applications to be accelerated, have already been awarded asylum.
De Maiziere said that their behavior deserves praise and recognition
The post Syrian Suspect in Bomb Plot, Jaber Albakr, Kills Self appeared first on Newsline.
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