Two German ex-soldiers detained over plot to fight in Yemen
BERLIN, Oct 20 (Reuters) - German police on Wednesday detained two former soldiers on terrorism-related charges for allegedly trying to form a mercenary group of up to 150 members to fight in Yemen, the Federal Public Prosecutor said.
Police searched the suspects' apartments in Munich and the district of Calw, near the city of Stuttgart, and other premises.
The suspects, identified as Arend-Adolf G. and Achim A., under privacy rules, had decided in early 2021 to form a paramilitary unit consisting of former German Army soldiers and police member, the prosecutor said in a statement.
The men were in contact with at least seven people with the goal of recruitment and had tried unsuccessfully to establish communication with Saudi Arabia in order to finance the group, the office said.
Their primary motivation was the prospect of each mercenary earning around 40,000 euros ($46,500) a month, it said, adding that the men wanted to "pacify" the six-year-old war in Yemen between Houthi rebels and the Yemeni government.
