Authorities in the German federal state of Brandenburg today banned the operation of an Islamic center in the city of Fürstenwalde for suspected links to the militant groups Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, reports CBS.

The Interior Ministry of Brandenburg, the state surrounding Berlin, said the decision to close and ban all activities of the Islamic Center Fürstenwalde al-Salam (IZF) was taken after a series of coordinated police checks earlier in the day.

Authorities searched the association's premises in Fürstenwalde, as well as several private residences across Brandenburg and Berlin. Fürstenwalde is an independent region that does not belong to any federal state.

The purpose of the operation was to secure evidence supporting claims of extremist activities linked to IZF, the ministry said.

The press release of the Ministry of Internal Affairs states that IZF was involved in activities against the idea of ​​international understanding and constitutional order, which served as justification for the ban.

About 30 people from the association, which was a relatively small organization with an attached mosque, are suspected of being affiliated with Hamas.

Brandenburg's Office for the Protection of the Constitutional Order classified the IZF as an extremist organization in July 2023.

The Muslim Brotherhood was briefly elected to power in Egypt, but was declared a terrorist organization by the new government, which overthrew them. The US government has not officially designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, but Hamas has maintained that designation for more than two decades.

Police during today's raids seized documents, electronic equipment and other items that may indicate further links between IZF and extremist propaganda and support for organizations such as the Muslim Brotherhood.

The raids came just weeks after authorities in neighboring Austria, acting on intelligence provided by US authorities, foiled a suspected ISIS-linked terror attack targeting fans at Taylor Swift concerts. For this reason, the concerts were cancelled.

Germany is facing numerous attacks by extremists, and federal and state authorities have stepped up their efforts to combat religious and political radicalization by working closely with the Federal Office for the Protection of Constitutional Order.

The German government is under pressure due to the rise of far-right nationalist political parties, especially in the east of the country.