5th Attempted Arson Attack on German Railway

October 13, 2011

German police say two more attempted arson attacks on Berlin’s railway network have been thwarted after workers found suspicious devices near the tracks.

It brings the total of attempted arson attacks in and around Germany’s capital to five since Monday.

Only one attack succeeded and caused damage, bringing train traffic temporarily to a halt but causing no injuries. The other devices were defused by police experts.

Police said in a statement Wednesday that railway workers found seven bottles filled with an explosive liquid in utility shafts near train tracks in the city’s northeast late Tuesday, only hours after detecting another device near the city’s central station.

A previously unknown leftist group has claimed responsibility for the attacks in an online message.