Additional arson devices found on German railways

[News_Editor]

Additional arson devices found on German railways

2011-10-12 06:32:13 GMT+7 (ICT)

BERLIN, GERMANY (BNO NEWS) -- Additional incendiary devices were found on German railways on Tuesday after a series of attacks Monday which left railway operations temporarily suspended, local media reported.

Two bottles filled with flammable liquid were discovered by a Deutsche Bahn worker on the Southeastern Berlin train tracks on Tuesday, The Local reported on its website, adding that federal police were forced to close the area for investigation. Leftist extremists have been blamed for the incident.

The objects were found just one day after a device interrupted the Berlin-Hamburg railway route after knocking out its signals. The so-called 'Hekla reception committee' claimed responsibility for the attack in retaliation to the country's involvement in the Afghan war. It also called for the release of U.S. soldier Bradley Manning who has been charged with leaking classified military documents to Wikileaks.

Also on Monday, incendiary devices were discovered in a tunnel near Berlin's main train station. Police were able to defuse the devices in time and no major incidents were reported, but police decided to shut down several S-Bahn lines as a precautionary measure.

Police are uncertain whether the bottles found on Tuesday had already been placed on Monday. Since the first devices were found, more than 300 trains have suffered delays due to the arson attacks.

In July, German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich said that left-wing violence remains a concern. He said, citing an intelligence report, that the number of leftist extremists in the country is estimated to be around 32,200.

In February, police said two explosive devices were found in cable ducts near the town of Oranienburg, a town in the northeastern Brandenburg state. Officials said the bombs were intended to set signal cables on fire to halt train services.

And in November 2010, similar bombs caused the disruption of train services in parts of Berlin. A radical anti-nuclear group claimed responsibility for the attack, which caused no injuries.

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