3 jailed for attack on German mosque

BERLIN

A German court on Friday jailed three men for throwing Molotov cocktails on a mosque in southern Germany last year.

The mosque of Turkish-Muslim association IGMG in Ulm was attacked in March 2018 by followers of the PYD/PKK terrorist group to protest Turkey’s counter-terrorism operation in northwestern Syria.

The district court in Ulm handed down jail terms -- ranging from three to five-and-half years -- to attackers for the assault that caused no casualties but minor damage to the mosque.

Two other suspects received suspended prison sentences between six months and one-and-half years.

The PYD/PKK group and far-left organizations claimed responsibility for dozens of attacks last year which targeted Turkish mosques, associations and shops in various cities, including Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Aachen.

The PKK has been banned in Germany since 1993, but it remains active, with nearly 14,000 followers in the country.

Ankara has long criticized German authorities for not taking serious measures against the PKK and its Syrian affiliates -- PYD and YPG -- which continue to use Germany as a platform for their fund-raising, recruitment and propaganda activities.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people, including many women and children.