Germany Arrests Five Teens Over Far-Right Terror Attacks Across States

German police arrested five teenage males suspected of forming a far-right extremist group called the "Last Wave of Defence," which aimed to destabilize Germany's democratic system through violent acts primarily targeting migrants and political opponents. The group, founded around April 2024, carried out arson attacks on a cultural community centre in Brandenburg and attempted to ignite a fire at an asylum seeker shelter in Thuringia, in addition to vandalizing these sites with far-right slogans and swastikas. Authorities also investigated three other members aged 18 to 21 who were already in custody. The arrests involved coordinated raids across multiple German states and searches of 13 properties. Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig expressed particular concern that all suspects were minors when the group was founded, highlighting the alarming reach of right-wing extremist terrorism among youth. These developments come amid a record rise in politically motivated crimes and increased far-right violence in Germany, fueled by political polarization and ongoing social tensions.