An employee of Germany’s domestic intelligence service (BfV) has been arrested over a suspected Islamist plot to bomb the agency’s Cologne Headquarters.

Media reports claim the “mole” has already made a “partial confession”.

The 51-year-old suspect is accused of making Islamist statements on the Internet using a false name and of revealing internal agency material in Internet chatrooms that could lead to a threat to the office. He was reportedly caught by an agency informant, with the pair having online conversations about a possible attack.

Jihadis infiltrate Germany’s intelligence apparatus. Is there any reason to think this isn’t happening everywhere? https://t.co/QOFTYqPRt0— Benjamin Weingarten (@bhweingarten) November 29, 2016

The German authorities have ramped up their surveillance of potential militant Islamist groups and individuals after two attacks claimed by ISIL in July.

The BfV – the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution – is Germany’s domestic intelligence agency. Its counterpart, the Federal Intelligence Service (BND), deals with foreign intelligence.

It’s estimated there are around 40,000 Islamists currently in Germany.