Czech Police: Slovak Islamist Was Planning Lone Wolf Attack

Prague, September 23 (TASR) – The first Slovak Islamist radical identified for legal purposes only as Dominik K., arrested last year in the Czech Republic, was actually planning a terror attack, Czech police chief Tomas Tuhy told Czech Television on Sunday.

The radicalised Slovak, who frequented mosques in Prague and appeared under the adopted name of Abdul Rahman, wasn’t a member of an organised group and should rather be considered a ‘lone wolf’, said Tuhy.

“This person really was planning a terror attack. Only excellent cooperation between the intelligence services and the Czech police prevented a possibly serious incident from taking place,” said Tuhy.

The young man originating from Slovakia stated that his spiritual role model was a former Prague imam who was earlier charged with supporting terrorism but managed to flee. He’s wanted for supporting his brother and a sister-in-law who have joined jihadists in Syria.

The Muslim community in the Czech Republic didn’t alert the authorities about the radicalisation of the Slovak. According to the police chief, it seems that Dominik K. wasn’t part of an organised group, however.

The Slovak living in the Czech Republic converted to Islam three years ago. It was found that he posted disturbing messages on a social network, including one with the slogan: “This country will be ours! And it won’t be for everyone!”

After converting to Islam, he began wearing military garb and greeting others with a raised right forefinger, a salute used by the Islamic State terror group.

The man, who was found by the police to have suspicious chemicals and manuals for producing a bomb at his flat, claimed that he only intended to use the substances to make New Year’s Eve fireworks, but the police found his explanation unconvincing.

“The chemicals were meant for producing weapons, not petards. As a Muslim, he shouldn’t celebrate New Year’s Eve,” noted the Czech police’s anti-terrorist department.