Armed police stand guard as others search a van at the scene in the Karl-Elsasser Street in Berlin's southern suburb of Britz

The men had been detained after police commandos raided an Islamic cultural centre

Berlin

: German police said on Thursday they had released two men detained on suspicion of planning a \"serious act of violence\" following raids in Berlin that targeted Islamists.

\"I can confirm that both suspects were freed from custody at 4:30 am (0330 GMT),\" said police spokeswoman Kerstin Ismer. The men, aged 28 and 46, had been detained on Thursday after police commandos raided an Islamic cultural centre in western Berlin and a building in a southern suburb of the German capital.