The news of the terror attack in Hanau come amidst a surge in activity to counter the extreme right in Germany, with several arrests and raids having taken place in recent months. Yet in the light of the latest atrocity, what do we know about the extreme right in Germany and how its counter-terror apparatus has responded to the threat?
Recent terrorist attacks in Germany
The attack in Hanau is one of the most lethal in recent years with 11 confirmed fatalities, but Germany is not a stranger to the terrorist threat posed by the extreme right.
On 22 July 2016, 18-year-old Ali Sinboly opened fire against people of Turkish and Arab appearance at a shopping centre in Munich, killing 9 people and injuring 36. He was reportedly inspired by Anders Breivik, to the point that he decided to carry out the attack on the fifth anniversary of Breivik’s own in Norway. As with many similar attackers, including the latest in Hanau by all indicators, Sinboly was inspired by a mix of ideologies – he had also researched on school shootings and was reportedly “honoured” to share a birthday with Adolf Hitler.
