GETTY•NC Germany is believed to be playing host to 500 jihadis

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Interior minister Thomas de Maiziere revealed there were at lease 520 potential “attackers” waiting to strike with a further 360 “relevant” people known to authorities. The harrowing message comes after the country saw a spate of terror attacks including two Islamic State-inspired killings in July.

The terror threat now stems from foreign hit teams as well as fanatical lone wolves in Germany Thomas de Maiziere

Mr de Maiziere said: “The terror threat now stems from foreign hit teams as well as fanatical lone wolves in Germany. "The hit teams are secretly smuggled into Europe and prepare their actions without being noticed, as we saw with the attacks in Paris and Brussels. "But it's even more difficult to uncover the fanatical lone wolves.”

GETTY Thomas de Maiziere made the chilling warning

Despite the efforts from security authorities to hunt down and stop Islamic extremists, Mr de Maiziere believes many more blood-thirsty terrorists are waiting to attack. He said: “The authorities are assuming there are undiscovered lone wolf terrorists out there."

The concerned minister also called on all Muslims to distance themselves from Islamist terrorism. He told German newspaper Bild: “It is an abuse of the religion to carry out assassinations in the name of Islam.”

The fight against ISIS Fri, November 18, 2016 The battle against ISIS militants (also abbreviated as Daesh, ISIL, IS and Islamic State) continues in the Middle East. Play slideshow Getty 1 of 183 Forces battle against ISIS