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1. After the ISIS Jihadis he instructed had conducted deadly terror attacks in Paris and Brussels, Thomas-Marcel Christen was appointed as new ExOps commander for Europe. He now plotted to conduct a similar attack in Germany.https://www.bild.de/bild-plus/politik/ausland/politik-ausland/drei-terror-teams-so-plante-isis-in-deutschland-ein-massaker-66045032,la=de.bild.html…
2. Despite the fact that Hundreds of Germans had joined ISIS and propagandists like Denis Cuspert and Mohamed Mahmoud repeatedly called the "brothers" to act, there had been no major terror attack in Germany so far, which was rather embarrassing for the Almanis.pic.twitter.com/dQolzSWS0o
3. Thomas-Marcel Christen and OSEO then plotted to hit Germany with at least three hit teams. They were trained by TMC in his Katiba Furqan which was stationed in Raqqa. The attackers were instructed to change their appearance to travel through Turkey into Europe.
4. Marcia Moews (pic 1) from Salzgitter – who's in YPG detention – was tasked to find "sisters" in Germany who would marry members of the hit teams for cover. She contacted Songül G. (pic 2) who was arrested and is now on trial, as well as an informant of German domestic intel.pic.twitter.com/lMLYWDmwOI
5. TMC's first hit team consisted of Adnan Sutkovic (Bremen) and Zulhajrat Seadini (Hamburg). Sutkovic's face briefly appeared in the infamous 2015 "The tourism of this Ummah" video, where Mahmoud and Abou-Zand shot to captives in Palmyra. Seadini's face was also already known.pic.twitter.com/SVsiJTD6Lr
6. Sutkovic and Seadini were instructed to change their appearance: They smuggled into Turkey and underwent a hair transplantation. Counterterrorism officials recognized them nonetheless and they were arrested in late 2016.pic.twitter.com/uFwV1EF8zA
7. For his plan TMC called another German ISIS member: Ömer D., who was well-known to German authorities. His name came up in 2011 as he was in contact with Abdeladim el-K., head of the Düsseldorf cell, an AQ group that planned IED attacks in Germany, a plot foiled by the NSA.pic.twitter.com/CXf0EVWUOs
8. Due to his veteran status, Ömer D. had some privilege within ISIS and worked in Idarat Mujahideen in Raqqa. He had extensive networks in Turkey, Lebanon and Germany, which made him interesting as a logistician for TMC and OSEO's plan to attack in Germany.
9. In early 2017, German counter terrorism officials were alerted by reports that Ömer D. had secretly returned to Germany. He was put under surveillance, his case was extensively discussed in the Joint Counter-Terrorism Center GTAZ (kind of Germany's national fusion center).pic.twitter.com/kFcHZ3fRk4
10. At some point surveillance was lost and he went missing. Authorities knew that there was an attack plan against Germany – and it was only days until carnival season, with big events in Cologne and elsewhere. Ömer D. was feared to act as the ringleader like Abaaoud in Paris.pic.twitter.com/ZQkRkm4mmQ
11. It turned out that Ömer D. was still in Raqqa as he told me back then, authorities probably confused him with another man. I kept in contact with him for several months.pic.twitter.com/ZMmDzvp8dQ
12. He was quite friendly and told me I would be a good "amni", which was funny but a bit awkward considering that I knew he was working with Amniyat's ExOps. He switched messengers and accounts while fleeing advancing SDF and coalition from Raqqa to Deir ez Zor to MERV region.pic.twitter.com/lmVXtn7AU2
13. Our chats came to an end in autumn that year.
On 14/11/17, @CENTCOM and @CJTFOIR announced that they had killed Ömer D., whom they described as a "senior ISIS leader and "external operations coordinator" which was likely a bit exaggerated.pic.twitter.com/AUtEYqR8Kr
14. Ömer D. was killed with his brother Yusuf when a rocket hit their car near the Iraqi-Syrian border area at al-Qaim. I am rather convinced that in the end, Ömer D. wasn't involved in TMC's attack plot anymore but just wanted to leave ISIS and Syria.pic.twitter.com/twbFKjZtAh
15. TMC however continued his plot against Germany: The second hit team consisted of two recruits from his Katiba Furqan: Dominik W. from Hildesheim and Mohammed A. who had lived in Hamburg for some years. Unlike most German ISIS members both guys were tough fighters.pic.twitter.com/ZN465N7ocl
16. But those two also didn't make it to Germany: While Dominik W. was killed fighting in Syria, Mohammed A. was severely injured and captured by YPG.
17. While two of TMC's hit teams were identified and inoperable, authorities knew that he had recruited a third team. This third hit team was never identified, its members and their current status are still unknown.
18. What's also largely unknown were the potential targets in TMC's plot. Given the existence of three hit teams and the successful operations in Brussels and Paris, it is quite possible that he planned simultaneous attacks on different locations for maximum effect.
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