German police have detained a Syrian man suspected of plotting a terrorist attack in Berlin

Suspect planned to attack Alexanderplatz with a firearm on July 21

The man was arrested in the Charlottenburg district

German police have detained a Syrian man suspected of planning a terrorist attack in Berlin, the city's top security official said on Thursday. The man had reportedly planned to attack the popular tourist destination Alexanderplatz on July 21 with a firearm. Berlin's Interior Senator Iris Spranger said that police had been monitoring the suspect, who is in his 20s, for several weeks. The suspect was arrested in the Charlottenburg district on Wednesday. The news of the plot follows the recent arrests of two Iraqi men in connection with the discovery of an improvised explosive device in the Neukölln district in Berlin.