German authorities said Sunday that they have arrested a Libyan national with suspected ties to the extremist Islamic State group who was allegedly planning a firearms attack on the Israeli Embassy.

Police and other security forces detained the man on Saturday evening in Bernau, a town just outside of Berlin, and searched his home there, the Federal ProsecutorB次元官网网址檚 Office said in a statement.

The prosecutorB次元官网网址檚 office said the suspect was a Libyan national whom they identified only as Omar A.

B次元官网网址淗e intended to carry out a high-profile attack with firearms on the Israeli Embassy in Berlin,B次元官网网址� the statement said. In his planning, the statement added, B次元官网网址渢he accused exchanged information with a member of IS in a messenger chat.B次元官网网址�

Security forces also searched the home of another person who is considered a witness and not a suspect, the prosecutorB次元官网网址檚 statement said.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said that German security authorities B次元官网网址渟truck in time to thwart possible plans to attack the Israeli Embassy in Berlin.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淭his shows that protecting Jewish and Israeli institutions in our country is vital and of the utmost importance to us,B次元官网网址� she added.

The suspect brought on Sunday before an investigating judge at the countryB次元官网网址檚 highest court, the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe.

Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor thanked the German security authorities B次元官网网址渇or ensuring the security of our embassy,B次元官网网址� German news agency dpa reported.

B次元官网网址 of the case first came from the Bild newspaper, which reported that a heavily armed elite police unit stormed the suspectB次元官网网址檚 home in Bernau. It said German authorities acted after receiving a tipoff from an unspecified foreign intelligence agency.

B次元官网网址淲e are acting with the utmost vigilance and attention in view of the high threat posed by Islamist, antisemitic and anti-Israel violence,B次元官网网址� Faeser said.

According to Bild, the suspect is a 28-year-old who arrived in Germany in November 2022 and applied for asylum. Dpa reported that his asylum request was rejected.

Justice Minister Marco Buschmann also warned Sunday of a B次元官网网址渧ery seriousB次元官网网址� threat of Islamist terrorism in Germany. B次元官网网址淚sraeli institutions are particularly often the target of terrorists,B次元官网网址� he told dpa.

A sharp increase in antisemitic incidents has been recorded in Germany since HamasB次元官网网址� attack on Israeli on Oct. 7, 2023, which triggered the ongoing wars in the Middle East.