BERLIN — Terrorist attacks are being planned in Germany, including one this month, Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said Wednesday, speaking of a "new security situation" in the country.

"From today, there will be a visible police presence. I thought it should be explained to citizens," said De Maiziere at a hastily called press conference in Berlin.

"There will also be a variety of measures that will not be visible. There is reason for concern, but no reason for hysteria," he added.

Evidence of a potential attack towards the end of the month came from a "foreign partner," he said.

"According to information from a foreign partner which came to us after the Yemen incident, we suspect a planned attack is due to be put into action at the end of November," De Maiziere said.

Last month, authorities discovered two US-bound parcel bombs originating from Yemen, one of which transited through Cologne airport in western Germany.

"Since the middle of 2010, the security services have noticed increased indications that the terrorist organisation Al-Qaeda has been planning attacks in the United States, in Europe and in Germany," he said.

"We now have more details and indications of danger ... It is the unanimous assessment of the security services that we are currently dealing with a new situation."

Announcing heightened security measures "until further notice", especially at train stations and airports, De Maiziere said: "These are designed to be preventative and act as a deterrent."

Although the evidence of an increased threat is concrete, "it is not cause and should not be cause for us to change our daily lives totally," added the minister.

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