A GERMAN intelligence officer has been arrested on allegations 'relating to a suspected Islamist plot targeting the agency's headquarters'.

The official is suspected of making Islamist declarations on the internet and passing "sensitive information" about Germany's domestic intelligence agency, Bundesverfassungsschutz (BfV).

1 Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz headquarters Credit: Alamy

The suspect, a 51-year-old German, is believed to have been planning a bombing at the BfV in the western city of Cologne, according to weekly Der Spiegel and daily Die Welt.

Der Spiegel has reported that the man made a partial confession to allegations through references to bomb attacks carried out "in the name of Allah",.

The German magazine reported on its website that the agency first became aware of the man's activities about four weeks ago.

A BfV spokesman said the suspect had not previously attracted attention, saying: "The man behaved inconspicuously during his employment process, training and in his area of responsibility."

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The spokesman added: "There is no evidence to date that there is a concrete danger to the security of the BfV or its employees.

"The man is accused of making Islamist statements on the Internet using a false name and of revealing internal agency material in internet chatrooms,"

German authorities have ramped up their surveillance of potential militant Islamist groups and individuals after two attacks claimed by the Islamic State group in July.

The BfV estimates there are about 40,000 Islamists in Germany, including 9,200 ultra-conservative Islamists known as Salafists.

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