BERLIN, March 17 (Reuters) - The German government has approved plans by the country’s biggest supermarket group Edeka to buy grocery chain Kaiser’s, owned by retail group Tengelmann, sources from the ruling coalition said on Thursday.

Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel will officially confirm the approval of the merger later on Thursday, they added. (Reporting by Gernot Heller; Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by Maria Sheahan)