German authorities have arrested two Iraqi nationals on suspicion of terrorism after evidence emerged that they had fought with the Islamic State in Iraq a decade ago.
The Düsseldorf State Prosecutor's Office accuses the men, aged 29 and 46, of being members of a terrorist organization abroad, a spokeswoman said in response to an inquiry on Thursday.
The detainees are said to have participated in battles fought by the Islamic State terrorist organization in Iraq from at least mid-2015 through the end of 2016.
The arrests were made in the towns of Höxter and Bottrop in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
The spokeswoman confirmed that arrest warrants had been previously issued. As of the afternoon, no decision had yet been made regarding pretrial detention.
The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) received a tip and was then able to track down the suspects, she said. Cell phones and laptops were seized from the detainees' apartments.
There are no indications of any planned attacks in Germany, the spokeswoman added.