German mayor thanks police after alleged attack on soldiers averted

The mayor of the German town of Hof, Eva Döhla, expressed shock after alleged plans to attack soldiers in the town were revealed on Friday.

"There has never been anything like this in Hof before - living together with more than 48,000 people from 127 countries has always been peaceful, and we will do everything we can to ensure that this remains the case in the future," she said.

Earlier, the authorities detained a Syrian man on suspicion of planning a machete attack on soldiers in the town. Investigators believe that the 27-year-old man follows a radical Islamic ideology.

"I am therefore wholeheartedly grateful to the police and security forces for their decisive action in preventing a terrible crime," Döhla said.