German authorities conducted raids in six northern German states on Wednesday due to concerns that left-wing radicals were planning attacks to disrupt the upcoming G8 summit in Heiligendamm. The federal prosecutor's office stated that around 900 security officials searched 40 sites in Berlin, Brandenburg, Hamburg, Bremen, Schleswig-Holstein, and Lower Saxony. The office suspects members of the militant extreme-left scene of forming a terrorist organization or being part of one, with plans to carry out arson attacks and other actions to disrupt or prevent the summit. German security officials believe the group was responsible for several attacks in Hamburg and Berlin over the past two years, including a well-known incident where a car in front of the deputy finance minister's home was set on fire. Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble cautioned earlier this year about the possibility of left-wing extremists carrying out attacks during Germany's presidency of the Group of Eight (G8) club of industrialised nations. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is set to host the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Russia, and the United States at the Heiligendamm summit, where discussions are expected to revolve around climate change, global economic coordination, and other significant foreign policy issues. Since the Red Army Faction (RAF) disbanded in 1998 after a violent two-decade campaign of killings and kidnappings, Germany has not seen any major instances of left-wing violence.