German authorities announced on Saturday that they had arrested five men on suspicion of involvement in what they described as an "Islamist plot" to storm a Christmas market with a car, intending to kill and injure its visitors, according to Agence France-Presse.
According to the authorities, the suspects planned to use a vehicle as a weapon. The arrest followed a thorough operation by special services.
Earlier, it was reported that the threat was nipped in the bud, and residents and tourists at Christmas markets are safe.