Trove of weapons for 'possible Islamist terror attack' found in major European capital

On Thursday, Austrian authorities discovered five handguns and 10 ammunition magazines in a suitcase inside a Vienna storage unit.

The country's Home Office equivalent said its investigation has led it to believe "Israeli or Jewish institutions in Europe were likely to be the targets of these attacks".

A 39-year-old British man was arrested in London on Monday, with officials alleging the man had "close ties" to the recovered weapons.

The man appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court later that day before being remanded into custody - and is due to appear in court via video link next week.

According to Austria's intelligence agency, the suspect and weapons were part of a cross-borders investigation into a "global terrorist organisation with ties to Hamas”.

The agency said it had uncovered “suspicion that a group had brought weapons into Austria to use in possible terrorist attacks in Europe” as it carried out inquiries.

Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said: "The current case shows once again that the Directorate for State Security and Intelligence has an excellent international network and takes consistent action against all forms of extremism.

“The mission is clear - zero tolerance for terrorists.”

The arrestee could be extradited to Germany, where authorities have accused him of playing a crucial role in a Hamas terror cell.

According to ITV News, the man is the son of a senior Hamas official.

German police had previously arrested three men in connection to an alleged terror plot said to target the country's Jewish communities.

The authorities have released the names of the three men arrested - Abed Al G and Ahmad I, and Lebanese-born Wael F M.

All three men have been confirmed to hold German citizenship.

The arrests were made the day before the Manchester synagogue terror attack on Yom Kippur, which left two Jewish worshippers dead.

Authorities have accused the British man of being in charge of the transportation of the weapons into Austria.

German interior minister Alexander Dobrindt said: “A few months ago, a known terrorist suspect with Hamas connections came to Germany, and since then this person has been under surveillance.

“During this period, he attempted to obtain weapons and ammunition to carry out an attack.

"We assume that this threat was real."

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