Syrian Asylum Seeker Suspected of Attempting Bombing in Germany Commits Suicide

The Saxony Ministry of Justice in Germany announced on Wednesday that Jaber al-Bakr, a 22-year-old Syrian asylum seeker suspected of attempting to bomb Berlin's airport, committed suicide after being arrested at a police detention center in Leipzig. According to Reuters, police officials say that al-Bakr, who arrived in Germany last year and applied for asylum, intended to carry out an attack similar to those in Paris and Belgium, which left 130 and 32 dead, respectively. The Saxony Ministry of Justice stated that al-Bakr committed suicide on Wednesday evening and died in a hospital in the Leipzig detention center. The statement added that more details on the matter would be provided in a press conference at 9 AM on Thursday. Meanwhile, the website 'Spiegel' reported that this Syrian asylum seeker was under 24-hour surveillance due to the sensitivity of his case and his hunger strike, and it is unclear how he managed to commit suicide. In this context, the 'DPA' news agency reported that al-Bakr hanged himself in his cell. This Syrian asylum seeker was arrested on Monday. Reports indicate that al-Bakr went to Leipzig after fleeing and sought help from other Syrian asylum seekers living in the city. The police, having released a photo of this Syrian suspect, asked the public to provide any information regarding his whereabouts. Two Syrian asylum seekers who had given al-Bakr a place to stay realized that he was being pursued by the police, and as a result, they bound him with a rope and handed him over to the police. The German police had searched al-Bakr's home and that of his roommate in Chemnitz on Sunday. The police also detained al-Bakr's roommate, who is also of Syrian descent, on charges of aiding in the planning of a 'violent act.' During the search of this Syrian suspect's apartment, several hundred grams of an explosive substance were discovered, which police stated is 'more dangerous than TNT, and even a small amount can cause massive damage.' The news agency also quoted local media as saying that this explosive, which was destroyed by a bomb disposal team, is known as TATP or acetone peroxide, referred to as 'Mother of Satan,' and has been used in the Paris and Brussels attacks as well. Police sources told AFP that al-Bakr likely has 'Islamist motives,' and the German news agency reported, citing security sources, that he may have connections to the Islamic State group.