Bild: Hundreds of High-Risk Islamists Identified in Germany

German security authorities have identified around 450 Islamists whom they believe could commit a serious politically motivated crime or terrorist attack, Bild reported, citing parliamentary data current as of September 2025.

The case of 21-year-old Abdul Ballout, who media reports said had links to the Islamic State terrorist group, has renewed debate over the ability of Germany’s security services to prevent such attacks. Ballout killed one woman and injured 25 other people in an attack in Berlin before being shot dead on Sunday.

Ballout was already known to the authorities. He had reportedly planned a previous attack, served time in prison and been classified as a high-risk individual. He was placed under surveillance for a period, his phone was tapped and he was ordered to take part in a deradicalization program.

Germany’s domestic intelligence agency estimates that 9,110 violence-oriented Islamist extremists are active in the country. It recorded a total of 28,645 Islamist extremists last year.

People classified as potential security threats may be subjected to enhanced monitoring, including scrutiny of their online and social media activity, physical surveillance and the monitoring of phone calls and messages where legally authorized.

In Berlin alone, the domestic intelligence agency has nearly 2,600 Islamist extremists on file, more than 900 of whom are considered violence-oriented. The largest groups are Salafists and supporters of Hamas and Hezbollah. No reliable figures are available for the number of Islamic State members.

(bild, bak)