A 12-year-old boy is being held in Germany on suspicion of an attempted nail bomb attack at a traditional Christmas market, it has emerged.

Prosecutors reportedly suspect the boy, who cannot be named under child protection laws, was acting on the orders of Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isil).

Born in Germany to Iraqi parents, it is thought that the boy, if convicted, would be the youngest to attempt an Isil attack on European soil.

Authorities in Germany are being tight-lipped about the case, but have confirmed the boy is being held in connection with the investigation.

Details first emerged in Germany’s Focus magazine, which alleged that the boy twice attempted to detonate a crude home-made bomb in his hometown of Ludwigshafen, in western Germany.