2016 Ludwigshafen bombing plot

On 16 December 2016, a bombing plot was uncovered in Ludwigshafen, Germany. A 12-year-old boy, who is a German and Iraqi citizen, was reported to be the perpetrator. He may have been directed by ISIL to build two nail bombs and plant them at the local Christmas market and near a shopping centre.

Incidents

After a first attempt failed at the Christmas market on 26 November when the bomb did not explode, the boy tried a second time on 5 December near the mall and the town hall of Ludwigshafen. He was reported to have been radicalised or instructed by an unidentified ISIL member. The German federal prosecutor (Generalbundesanwalt) announced an investigation into his motives. The boy is the youngest child from Germany believed to have been recruited by ISIL so far; a 13-year-old had previously been recruited to fight in Syria. The state youth welfare office took charge of the boy.

Suspect

The suspect was born in Ludwigshafen. His name was not released because of German privacy laws; German law also does not allow criminal prosecution of those younger than 14. The suspect had contemplated traveling to Syria in mid-2016 to join Islamic State.

Reactions

• Steffen Seibert, a spokesman for the German government, said: "This is certainly a report that scares everyone."
• Peter Altmaier, The German minister of the chancellery, said that the authorities were "sensitized". They had to investigate whether the child was radicalised at home or through the internet.

See also

• 2016 Düsseldorf terrorism plot
• 2016 Chemnitz terrorism plot
• Wave of Terror in Europe