Germany’s acting interior minister, Nancy Faeser and her Austrian counterpart, Gerhard Karner, have cancelled a planned trip to Syria due to security concerns after receiving warnings of a potential terrorist attack.

The ministers were scheduled to fly from Jordan to Damascus on Thursday for talks with members of Syria’s transitional government and representatives from United Nations aid organisations.

The cancellation followed specific warnings from German authorities about a possible terrorist threat, according to a spokesman for the German interior ministry.

The talks were to focus on security issues and the potential return of Syrian refugees.

However, given the threat to the delegation’s safety, the ministers decided it was not justifiable to proceed with the trip.

This decision highlights the continued fragility of the security situation in Syria.

Germany and Austria are working to expedite the return of serious offenders and dangerous individuals who are Syrian nationals.

In light of the unstable situation, Germany’s Office for Migration and Refugees has also suspended asylum decisions for Syrian nationals.

(dpa/NAN)