14 Arrested in Denmark, Germany for Planning Terror Attack

Danish police are seen entering an apartment as part of an operation against ISIS recruits, in Tingbjerg, Copenhagen, Denmark, Apr. 7, 2016. AP file photo
Danish police are seen entering an apartment as part of an operation against ISIS recruits, in Tingbjerg, Copenhagen, Denmark, Apr. 7, 2016. AP file photo
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14 Arrested in Denmark, Germany for Planning Terror Attack

Danish police are seen entering an apartment as part of an operation against ISIS recruits, in Tingbjerg, Copenhagen, Denmark, Apr. 7, 2016. AP file photo
Danish police are seen entering an apartment as part of an operation against ISIS recruits, in Tingbjerg, Copenhagen, Denmark, Apr. 7, 2016. AP file photo

The number of people arrested in Denmark and Germany over an alleged terror attack plot rose to 14 on Friday with six more people placed in pre-trial detention.

All but one of the suspects were arrested in Denmark. Three of them were Syrian nationals, aged 33, 36 and 40, who were arrested last weekend.

Authorities in Germany and Denmark initially on Thursday announced eight arrests, and on Friday, another six people were held, police said.

All the detention hearings in Denmark were held behind so-called double closed doors, meaning the case is shrouded in secrecy and few details are made public.

The Danish Security and Intelligence Service, known by its acronym PET, said Thursday that the people arrested in Denmark were suspected “of having acquired ingredients and components for the manufacture of explosives, as well as weapons, or having participated in this.”

The persons' identities and other nationalities were not made public.

Earlier, German authorities had announced the first three arrests — two in Denmark and one in Germany. They said the suspects were alleged to have purchased several kilograms of chemicals in January that could be used to manufacture explosives.

A search of a residence in the city of Dessau-Rosslau, between Naumburg and Berlin, turned up 10 kilograms of black powder, and fuses, the German prosecutor said. More chemicals were seized in Denmark.

PET said those arrested in Denmark are suspected of “having planned one or more terrorist attacks or participated in attempted terrorism." It did not say where such an attack would take place.

Danish media said that several women were among the detainees.



Ghalibaf: Any Attack on Iran Will Ignite the Entire Region

Iranians display cartoon models representing the US president and the Israeli prime minister during a march in Tehran on March 28, 2025 (AFP).
Iranians display cartoon models representing the US president and the Israeli prime minister during a march in Tehran on March 28, 2025 (AFP).
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Ghalibaf: Any Attack on Iran Will Ignite the Entire Region

Iranians display cartoon models representing the US president and the Israeli prime minister during a march in Tehran on March 28, 2025 (AFP).
Iranians display cartoon models representing the US president and the Israeli prime minister during a march in Tehran on March 28, 2025 (AFP).

Iran has warned that any US attack on its territory could lead to the explosion of the entire Middle East, hinting at potential strikes on American bases in the region.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated on Friday: “If the United States carries out its military threat against Iran due to the failure to reach a new nuclear agreement, its bases in the region will not be safe.” He added: “Any attack on Iran will mean the explosion of the entire region,” according to Tasnim, a news agency affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Iran claimed that it had exercised “restraint and balance” in its response to a message from US President Donald Trump while reaffirming its rejection of military threats and its willingness for indirect talks with Washington.
Iranian state television quoted Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as saying that Iran had sent its response to Trump’s message through Oman. He reiterated that Iran’s policy is to avoid direct negotiations with the US while it continues its “maximum pressure” campaign and military threats. However, Araghchi noted that Iran “may engage in indirect negotiations with the US, as it has done in the past.”
Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, described Iran’s response to Trump’s message as “measured,” stating that it included “a willingness for indirect dialogue.” Shamkhani, who oversees Iran’s nuclear negotiations, explained that the country’s specialized agencies had carefully crafted the response, ensuring that Iran’s stance was conveyed clearly while maintaining diplomatic restraint.
“Iran has always conducted indirect talks with the Americans, and if such talks are based on mutual respect, we are open to taking further steps toward negotiation,” Shamkhani said.
He added: “We take every threat seriously—not out of surrender, but to confront it. The Iranian people have never and will never accept submission. We are confident that the United States has no choice but to adopt a fair approach in any dialogue with Iran.”
Meanwhile, Ali Larijani, another senior adviser to Khamenei, expressed optimism about the current diplomatic path between Tehran and Washington, according to Iran’s IRNA news agency.
“We will reach a conclusion, and we are optimistic. The agreement must be acceptable to both parties, not just one,” Larijani stated.
Commenting on US threats of military action against Iran, Larijani remarked: “Those who intend to act do not talk too much.”
Ghalibaf also criticized Trump’s message, stating that it did not contain “any logical discussion about lifting sanctions,” according to Tasnim.