German police are looking for a Syrian suspected to have been planning a bombing after raiding an apartment building in the eastern city of Chemnitz.

Saxony police identified the suspect as 22-year-old Jaber Albakr from Damascus, and urged anyone with any information of his whereabouts to contact authorities.

Albakr was said to have last been seen wearing similar clothes to those he is pictured in, but no further details were released.

They conducted a controlled explosion on site and described the operation as "large-scale".

Traces of explosives were found at the scene, but they have yet to find the suspect.

Several hundred officers are currently involved in the operation, with heavily armed officers cordoning-off an area outside the apartment.

Saxony police advised local residents to "stay in your homes and follow the instructions of the police", and made an appeal to not publish images of the raid on social media.

The operation was triggered by a warning from the Federal Office for the Protection of Constitution that there could be a serious threat.