German police stopped a plot to assassinate a German state premier as tensions rise in the state over vaccine mandates.

The goal was to assassinate Michael Kretschmer, the Saxony premier, via guns and crossbows because Kretschmer had vocally supported restrictive measures against the unvaccinated, officials said. The plot had been discussed online in an encrypted group chat using the texting app Telegram that included over 100 members and was deemed credible, police confirmed.

"Statements from certain members of the group suggested they might have real weapons and crossbows," police said Wednesday, according to multiple outlets.

GERMAN POLICE ARREST SANTA CLAUS ATTENDING ANTI-COVID MEASURE PROTEST

After multiple raids in Dresden, Germany, police found the guns and crossbows discussed in the chat. Tom Bernhardt, a spokesman for Saxony police, told the Associated Press it wasn't clear whether the weapons found were operational but that an investigation is underway. Five men and one woman belonging to the group are also under investigation.

Tensions over vaccines have been rising in Saxony for months. In September, a vaccination clinic was the victim of arson, and violent threats against local politicians, doctors, and the media have increased, according to police. Saxony has one of the highest infection rates and lowest vaccination rates in Germany.

Kretschmer said the threats are "unacceptable, will not be tolerated, and will be pursued with all our strength."

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, in his first speech to Parliament Wednesday, also said the country will not tolerate extremists.

"We will not put up with a tiny minority of uninhibited extremists trying to impose its will on the whole of our society,” Scholz said.

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A vaccine mandate will be required for all medical personnel in Saxony starting March 16. A broader vaccine mandate for all of Germany is expected to pass early next year.

Germany has experienced more than 6.6 million cases of COVID-19, with more than 58 million people fully vaccinated against the virus, according to the Johns Hopkins University coronavirus tracker.