Germany bans all Hezbollah activities

The German Interior Ministry on Thursday said it has banned Lebanon's Hezbollah movement from operating in the country, calling it a terrorist organization.

Dozens of police and special forces stormed mosques and associations linked to Hezbollah in Bremen, Berlin, Dortmund and Muenster in the early hours of Thursday morning, Xinhua news agency quoted German media reports as saying.

A spokesperson for the German Interior Ministry tweeted Thursday: "Even in times of crisis, the rule of law is capable of acting."

Established in 1982 during Lebanon's civil war, Hezbollah is now a major political party in the country.

It fought a war with Israel in 2006.

The group,backed by the Islamic Shia community, has long been designated as a terrorist group by the US and Israel.