German Authorities Conduct 13 Anti-Terrorist Raids in 5 Federal States

German authorities have conducted 13 anti-terrorist raids in five federal states, police in the eastern state of Thuringia say.

#BREAKING: German authorities have conducted 13 counterterrorism raids in five federal states, police in the eastern state of Thuringia say. pic.twitter.com/sl2N0oVlyF

— dpa international (@dpa_intl) 25 октября 2016 г.

Several anti-terrorist raids are being carried out by police in the German federal states of Thuringia, Hamburg, North Rhine-Westlhalia, Saxony and Bavaria.

According to Thuringian authorities, there was suspicion that a terrorist act could be imminent, dpa reports.

The investigation was prompted due to suspicions that nationally disruptive acts of violence were being prepared. The accused may have intended to join the armed struggle in Syria as Daesh recruits.

The police are targeting 14 Russian citizens originally from Chechnya, including eleven men and three women between 21 and 31 years of age, from Thuringia, Hamburg and Dortmund.

MDR Radio reports that special forces are taking part in the operation, as well as 15 cars and a dog which has been trained to search for explosive devices.

In the northern part of the city of Suhl one person was detained. Police allegedly found white powder, although what kind of powder has yet to be determined.