German army probing 270 cases of right-wing extremism

BERLIN (AA) - The German military opened investigation into 270 suspected right-wing extremists in its ranks, a new report revealed on Tuesday.

18 soldiers were dismissed from the armed forces due to their extremist views, according to the annual report released by Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces Hans-Peter Bartels on Tuesday.

The military recorded scores of incidents, which involved xenophobia or anti-Semitism propaganda, impermissible political activities, incitement to enmity and hatred.

Painting swastikas, performing the Hitler salute, distributing extremist content via mobile phones and social media were among the incidents cited in the report.

Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD) has also opened investigation into 20 military personnel for their suspected ties to the far-right Reich Citizen Movement, which disputes the legitimacy of the Federal Republic of Germany, according to the report.