Germany's far-right AfD party to eject members linked to militant group

Berlin: The leaders of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), a far-right party polling second in national polls, will meet on Wednesday to initiate proceedings to expel members involved in an extremist group, the party said.

In a statement, the party referred to "members affected by the measures taken by the attorney general", confirming a connection between the party and eight suspects arrested during a major police operation on Tuesday.

The statement did not name the members or specify how many were impacted by the operation.

The operation targeted the Saxonian Separatists, a small group driven by racist ideology and conspiracy theories that had been training in warfare for the downfall of the modern German state.

According to German media, one of the suspects was Kurt Haettasch, an AfD politician in the eastern state of Saxony where the party came close to winning a state election in September. He is an elected council member in Grimma, near Leipzig, according to the town's website.

Describing it as an "urgent and serious case," the AfD said it would also suspend their membership rights with immediate effect until the arbitration court reaches a decision.

"No matter on whose behalf the Saxonian Separatists have been operating, there is no place for them in our party of freedom, peace and national sovereignty," said the AfD.