Suspected ringleader of Syrian terrorist group held in Germany

Two men have been arrested in Germany on suspicion of being members of a Syrian terrorist organization, prosecutors from Germany's Federal Court of Justice said on Thursday, reported dpa.

One of the two Syrian men, identified only as Amer A under Germany's strict privacy laws, is alleged to have founded and led the armed rebel group, Liwa Jund al-Haramain, in 2013.

The alleged ringleader is suspected of having committed war crimes in Syria, prosecutors said.

He is believed to have led an attack on a north-eastern Syrian village in 2013 in cooperation with other jihadist groups and killed up to 60 people. The village was looted, set on fire and the remaining inhabitants were driven out, prosecutors said.

The second suspect, identified as Basel O, is also said to have held a leadership position in the group.

The Liwa Jund al-Haramain rebel group (Brigade of Soldiers of Mercy) reportedly aims to topple the Syrian regime. Since 2014, it has been linked to the extremist militia organization Islamic State.

One suspect was arrested in the northern German city of Kiel on the Baltic Sea coast and the other in Munich.

Both men have been in custody since Wednesday. The defendants' homes had been searched, prosecutors said.