Two held in Berlin, suspected of devising serious act of violence

The two individuals, aged 28 and 46, had been "in contact with the Islamist movement," said officials

Berlin police said they have carried out two raids targeting Islamists and arrested two men suspected of preparing to carry out "a serious act of violence representing a danger for the state."

The two individuals, aged 28 and 46, had been "in contact with the Islamist movement," police spokeswoman Patricia Braemer said.

The police gave no further details, other than to say no arms or explosives had been found and there was no indication that "an act of violence was planned for Berlin."

The arrests came after special forces police raided an Islamic cultural centre in the western district of Charlottenburg and a building in the southern suburb of Britz yesterday.

The two arrests were made in Britz, where a neighbourhood was sealed off to let experts examine a suspicious object in a car that turned out to be harmless, police said earlier.

Local media reported officers had acted on a tip-off that an attack was being planned, as European police forces are on high alert following the bloody jihadist attacks in Paris on November 13.

A Germany-Netherlands football match in Hanover was called off last week at the last minute over fears of an assault.