German foreign intelligence chief forced out - sources

President of the German Federal Intelligence Agency (BND) Gerhard Schindler gestures during a visit of the Reuters office in Berlin, March 5, 2014. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch/File Photo

BERLIN (Reuters) - The head of Germany's BND foreign intelligence agency will be removed from his post two years early, government sources told Reuters on Tuesday, a surprise move that comes at a time when Germany faces a growing threat from Islamic State militants.

It was not immediately clear why Gerhard Schindler, 63, who has led Germany's version of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency since 2012, was being removed years before he reaches retirement age.