Germany faces attacks by Islamist "lone wolves" similar to that carried out by a 17-year old refugee who attacked train passengers with an axe, Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said on Wednesday (July 20). <br /> <br />"Like several EU countries, like the whole EU, Germany is also in the target area of international terrorism. Therefore, I have said for a long time, the situation is serious. In Germany too we must expect attacks from small groups and radicalised individuals," de Maiziere told reporters in Berlin. <br /> <br />The young man, who attacked passengers on a train in Bavaria on Monday night (July 18) entered Germany last summer with a wave of migrants, officials said on Tuesday (July 19), raising more questions about Chancellor Angela Merkel's open-door refugee policy. <br /> <br />"We cannot say that there is no link between refugees and terrorism. But the danger was high before - I mentioned the examples - and it remains high, independently of the question of refugees," de Maiziere said. <br /> <br />The 17-year-old, who a witness said shouted "Allahu Akbar" (God is Great) during the attack, severely wounded four Hong Kong residents on the train late on Monday, then injured a local woman after fleeing, before police shot him dead. <br /> <br />De Maiziere added that there was some indication that the train attacker was from Pakistan rather than Afghanistan, as previously thought.
