German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has elevated the national threat assessment from abstract to high, warning that attacks could occur at any time and targeting infrastructure, individuals, and institutions.
Dobrindt, citing an increased volume of intelligence reports, said he wants to transform domestic intelligence agencies into full-service secret services with expanded operational powers. The Cabinet is scheduled to consider a sweeping reform of intelligence laws on August 13 that would allow agents to independently enter and search residences during acute terror situations when police are unavailable. An independent oversight council would need to approve such measures in advance.
The heightened alert coincides with a separate security incident: a Deutsche Bahn security guard was critically injured Friday evening after falling from a moving train during a confrontation with a passenger between Offenburg and Karlsruhe.