A German far-right extremist was sentenced to life in prison on Monday for attempting to storm a synagogue and killing two people in the eastern German city of Halle last year.

The Higher Regional Court in Naumburg found Stephan Balliet guilty of two murders and more than 50 counts of attempted murder, and sentenced him to life in prison.

The 28-year-old neo-Nazi had originally planned a mass shooting at a mosque but later changed his mind, according to a manifesto he posted online before the attack in October last year.

The neo-Nazi had failed to enter the synagogue in Halle due to tight security, fired randomly at people on the street, and later stormed a nearby Turkish doner restaurant.

He fled the scene in a car but was arrested a few hours later after he got involved in a road accident.

The attack in Halle raised alarms in Germany over the threat posed by far-right extremists, and increased pressure on the government to take new measures.

Germany has witnessed growing racism and xenophobia in recent years, fueled by the propaganda of far-right, anti-Semitic, and anti-Muslim groups, including the main opposition party Alternative for Germany, or the AfD./aa