A teenager was detained by German special forces early on Tuesday on suspicion of plotting a terror attack while staying at a center for migrants and refugees that houses unaccompanied minors, officials said.
The 17-year-old entered the country illegally in 2015, according to authorities.
A spokesman for the interior ministry in the state of Brandenburg told NBC News the suspect is believed to have arrived from Syria but cautioned that the information was not confirmed. The arrest came after he allegedly "sent a goodbye message to a family member," according to a statement from the police. Officials allege the teen was planning a terror attack in Berlin. The police statement said the suspect had been living in a home for unaccompanied minors in Uckermark, which is northeast of the German capital.