(AKI) - The terror suspects arrested by German police at Cologne airport on Friday were planning to go to Pakistan, a German daily has claimed.It's the Promised Land for turbans...
Citing unnamed security officials, the Berlin newspaper, Tagesspiegel, said both suspects were en route to Pakistan via Amsterdam and Uganda.
The two suspects were arrested after a special commando unit stormed a KLM airliner on the tarmac of Cologne-Bonn Airport before it took off. A 23-year-old Somali national and a 24-year-old German citizen born in Somalia were arrested after months of surveillance by police who feared they would carry out suicide attacks.
Police are reported to have found farewell letters in the apartment of the two suspected terrorists saying they wanted to die for 'jihad' or holy war.
According to KLM, the Dutch airline, the plane had already received clearance for take off but permission to depart was later revoked and commandos raided the aircraft. Following the arrest of the suspects, the remaining 48 passengers aboard KLM Flight 1804 left the aircraft and all luggage was checked.
The passengers later continued on the flight, which landed in Amsterdam's Schiphol airport after a one hour of delay.
Both suspects apparently did not live in Cologne.