German intelligence chief stepping down over Turks' killing

Interior Ministry spokesman Markus Beyer said Monday that the 63-year-old Heinz Fromm will go into retirement at his own request at the end of this month. There was no immediate word on a successor.

The National Socialist Underground group evaded authorities' detection for more than a decade until late last year. The domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, has taken part of the blame for that.

It also emerged recently that documents regarding the activities of informers paid by the state were destroyed.