20.10.2021 11:57
Suspects were planning to form paramilitary group, fight in Yemen against Houthi rebels, according to prosecutors.
Germany has arrested two former soldiers for plans to form a terrorist organization, federal prosecutors said on Wednesday.
The suspects Arend-Adolf G. and Achim A. were planning to form a paramilitary group to fight against Houthi rebels in Yemen and sought funding from Saudi Arabia, the Federal Prosecutor's Office said in a statement.
Their goal was to recruit around 150 former soldiers and police officers, with each member receiving a monthly salary of nearly €40,000 ($46,500), according to the prosecutors.
The men made several attempts to get funding from Saudi Arabia for their plans, but Saudi authorities did not respond to their offer, the statement said.
They were arrested in the early hours of Wednesday by operations conducted by special police units in the southern states of Bavaria and Baden-Wurttemberg.
Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014 when Iran-aligned Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including the capital Sanaa. Coalition forces led by Saudi Arabia have been supporting the Yemeni government against the Houthis since March 2015. -