Foreign Affairs

‘Strongly Radicalized’ 12-Year-Old Fails To Blow Up German Christmas Market

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A 12-year-old German-Iraqi boy with ties to Islamic State failed to detonate a bomb in his backpack at a German Christmas market, prosecutors confirmed Friday.

The failed attempt took place Nov. 26 at the market in Ludwigshafen. He gave up after the device didn’t detonate, but returned Dec. 5 for a second attempt. Passersby managed to spot the boy as he placed the bag in a bush by the town hall, and bomb specialists carried out a controlled explosion to clear the danger.

The boy, who was born in Ludwigshafen, was described as “strongly radicalized” by officials. He is believed to have followed instructions from an unknown ISIS member.

The suspect is charged with a serious act of violent subversion.

Europol recently warned that “several dozen” terror attacks could be in the works for Christmas as more foreign fighters return to their home countries. (RELATED: European Poice Force Warns ‘Several Dozen’ ISIS Attacks Planned For Christmas)

“We have to be vigilant, since the threat posed by the so-called Islamic State and returning foreign fighters is likely to persist in the coming years,” Gilles de Kerchove, the European Union’s counter-terrorism coordinator, said in the report. “These people are trained to use explosives and firearms and they have been indoctrinated by the jihadist ideology.”

The U.S. Department of State has issued a travel warning to Americans planning to visit Europe during the Christmas holidays. The State Department said “credible information” points to ISIS and al-Qaida planning attacks in the coming weeks. Holiday festivals, events and outdoor markets are particularly sensitive areas this time of year, the travel warning said.

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