Germany arrests Syrian IS suspects over Duesseldorf plot Published duration 2 June 2016 Related Topics Syrian civil war

image copyright AFP image caption German police reportedly got a tip-off from French intelligence

German police have arrested three Syrian men on suspicion of plotting an Islamic State (IS) suicide attack in the western city of Duesseldorf.

The federal prosecutor's office said the suspects' plan was for two to detonate suicide vests, then others would fire their guns at pedestrians.

Two suspects joined IS in Syria in 2014 and reached Germany via Turkey in 2015, the statement said.

The third was already in Germany. A fourth suspect is in French custody.

Germany's Der Spiegel says German police got a tip-off from French authorities after the fourth suspect had revealed the terror cell.

media caption Katya Adler reports as Germany's security chief warns of vulnerable refugees being targeted by Islamists

The arrests took place in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Brandenburg and Baden-Wuerttemberg.

The suicide bombing was to take place on Heinrich-Heine-Allee, a busy road in the city centre, the prosecutor's statement said. Police swooped before the group had started preparing the materials.

Security officials told Der Spiegel that there was no connection with this month's Euro 2016 football competition in France.