BERLIN: A man arrested in southern Germany last week, who had weapons including machine guns and explosives in his car, was “likely linked to attackers in Paris”, German media reported on Saturday.

Police in the southern region of Bavaria confirmed the arrest on Nov 5 during a routine check on a motorway, saying “many machine guns, revolvers and explosives” were found in the vehicle of the suspect.

However, the police spokesman would not confirm the link with Friday’s attacks in Paris that left more than 120 people dead.

“I cannot tell you what he was planning to do with the weapons,” he added.

Focus Online reported that the man was from Montenegro and that he has refused to speak in prison and not hired a lawyer to defend his case.

France was in a nationwide state of emergency after a night of horror in Paris when gunmen sprayed restaurants with bullets, massacred scores of concert-goers and launched suicide attacks near the national stadium.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday pledged to “do everything” to help France in its fight against terrorists.

“We will do everything to help in the hunt for the perpetrators and instigators, and to carry out the fight together against these terrorists,” she said.

Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2015