Radical Islamist group al Qaeda plans to carry out attacks in Germany, a senior German intelligence official was quoted as saying on Friday.

Bernhard Falk, vice president of Germany's Federal Crime Office (BKA), told German daily Die Welt that al Qaeda forces based on the Pakistani-Afghan border were eyeing German targets.

"The basic decision has been made there to carry out attacks in Germany," he said, adding that security risks in Germany had recently intensified.

Germany agreed on Wednesday to send more troops to northern Afghanistan. Last year, it foiled a plan by Islamist militants to carry out bomb attacks against US installations in Germany, seizing three men in the Sauerland region.

"We have indications that several additional plans are very probably in the works, aside from the plans made by the Sauerland plotters," Falk said, adding that German Muslims were being recruited for training as radicals in Pakistani camps.

(China Daily/Agencies February 8, 2008)