German authorities arrest 'IS' suspect

German federal prosecutors said on Friday they had arrested the 23-year-old Emad A., whose last name has been withheld due to privacy laws, on suspicion of belonging to a terrorist organization.

Authorities said in a statement that he had been arrested early Friday in the southwestern state of Baden Württemberg. He is accused of joining the so-called "Islamic State" (IS) in spring of 2013 and taking part in multiple engagements in Syria.

The man's apartment was searched following his arrest. Prosecutors did not say how the man entered Germany or how he came to authorities' attention. The arrest comes amid growing concerns over home-grown Islamic extremism in Germany.

German soldier arrested

Just one day earlier, a German soldier was arrested for allegedly plotting a terrorist attack that might have been directed at migrants. The 28-year-old, whose name was withheld, had falsely registered as a Syrian asylum seeker and was motivated by xenophobia, prosecutors in Frankfurt said.

The arrest coincided with a sweeping police search of 16 locations across Germany, Austria and France. The German government suspects he intended to carry out an attack with a gun.

Germany's Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD) is currently investigating some 275 cases of right-wing extremism within the Bundeswehr, in addition to dozens of cases of suspected Islamic extremists and left-wing terrorists.

blc/rt  (AP, AFP)