The Minister of the Interior of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Herbert Reul, said that the rapid intervention of the security forces prevented the attack.

According to city authorities, police officers cordoned off the synagogue after receiving alerts about a ‘possible dangerous situation.’

Religious events were suspended and the surrounding streets cordoned off, which allowed the effective development of the operation in the city.

Two years ago an armed man belonging to the far right tried to break into a synagogue in Halle, in the state of Saxony-Anhalt.

During the incident, two people were shot to death and another two were wounded while fleeing, for which the man was sentenced to life imprisonment.

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