German authorities have arrested a man suspected of being a high-ranking militant of the self-styled Islamic State terrorist group. The arrest took place in the western town of Mutterstadt. A special SEK police unit detained the allegedly high-ranking IS member in the town of Mutterstadt in the state of Rhineland Palatinate on August 5. His identity was not revealed, DPA reported. The man was detained following a tipoff from a prisoner in the western city of Gelsenkirchen, to the north of Mutterstadt, in the neighboring state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Police from both states reportedly worked together on the case, with police from the city of Duisburg leading the operation. DPA also reported that the suspect was connected to alleged threats tied to the start of the German Bundesliga season this month. Many of Germany’s top football clubs are based in the north and west of the country. A spokesman from the Rhineland Palatinate Interior Ministry, confirmed the arrest to several German outlets, although the state interior minister could not be reached for comment.
