German police said they had conducted eight raids in Berlin on Tuesday targeting individuals suspected of inciting people to go and fight for ISIL in Syria.

The raids began at 6:30am (0430 GMT) and targeted, among others, a 51-year-old Moroccan, suspected of recruiting for the group, police said in a statement.

A 19-year-old Macedonian thought to be currently in Syria is also suspected of involvement in the recruitment drive, it said.

One raid was conducted at an association adjoining a mosque in Berlin's central Tempelhof-Schoeneberg district, the statement said.

German intelligence estimates that some 600 Germans have joined groups in Syria and Iraq.