Suspects arrested in Berlin had links to Islamic State: paper

Two people arrested in Berlin on Thursday had links to Islamic State, which may have been planning an attack in the western city of Dortmund, a German newspaper said on Friday, citing security sources.

German police commando units arrested two men aged 28 and 46 on Thursday suspected of planning an attack and searched a cultural center, a police spokesman said.

German newspaper Tagesspiegel said the two men are from Syria and Tunisia and have links to the militant group Islamic State. The paper added that security forces suspected Islamic State could have planned a possible attack in the west German city of Dortmund from Berlin.

Criminal investigations have also been opened into other people, including asylum seekers, in connection with Thursday's arrests, the paper said.

Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday the security threat level in Germany remained high after the Paris attacks on Nov. 13 where 130 people were killed.

On Thursday, an object "presumed to be hazardous" was found in a car used by the two main suspects, prompting police to block off the area and evacuate residents from several buildings, according to a police statement.