BERLIN (Reuters) - The German defence ministry on Tuesday said it was aware of an investigation into a member of the German military on suspicion of spying, but gave no further details.

German news magazine Der Spiegel reported Tuesday that a man who was born in Afghanistan and worked as a language expert for the military had been detained on suspicion of spying for Iran for several years.

“We are aware of the case and I can confirm that it concerns a member of the German military and suspicion of espionage,” the ministry spokesman said.