German authorities executed raids across the eastern state of Saxony, apprehending the leading members of a far-right terrorist group. The suspects are blamed for forming a terrorist group known as the “Saxonian Separatists” that intended to seize control in parts of the country, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office stated in a statement.

Seven suspects were captured in and around Leipzig and Dresden, with one suspect arrested in neighbouring Poland.
 Kurt H., a local politician from the far-right AfD party, was among those apprehended, according to a report by Der Spiegel weekly.

“This is a militant group consisting of 15 to 20 people whose ideology is distinguished by racist, antisemitic and, in some cases, apocalyptic ideas,”

prosecutors stated in a statement.

“Its members share a deep rejection of the free and democratic basic order of the Federal Republic of Germany,”

they said.

Investigators consider the group was readying for a “Day X” scenario, based on their opinion that Germany was on the verge of “collapse.” They foresaw that on this day, though its exact timing remains undecided, the state and society would disintegrate. In this scenario, the group allegedly prepared to use armed force to take control of areas in Saxony and potentially other eastern German states.

The suspects’ ultimate objective was to establish a Nazi-style state and community, and they also prepared to carry out “ethnic cleansing” to remove certain parties from the areas they would control. Prosecutors commented that the group made “continuous practices for the perceived inevitable and forceful change of government,” with members repeatedly employing paramilitary activity while wearing combat gear.

According to officials, the group particularly practised urban warfare, gun handling, nocturnal and loaded marching, as well as patrolling. Furthermore, they procured military hardware, including mask fatigues, combat helmets, gas covers, and bullet-proof vests. The detentions came amid growing worries about far-right extremism in Germany, especially in the former East German states. Authorities have stepped up measures to combat right-wing terrorism following a string of high-profile attacks in recent years.