Extremist held on Dortmund bus blasts
Prosecutors explore terrorist link to the attack that injured Borussia Dortmund player Marc Bartra and a policeman
DORTMUND, GERMANY // German investigators yesterday detained an extremist in connection with three explosions that rocked the Borussia Dortmund football team’s bus.
Prosecutors also confirmed they were exploring a terrorist link after three identical letters were found at the scene.
The roadside blasts injured Dortmund’s Spanish international Marc Bartra and a policeman. The bombs, which contained “metal pieces”, detonated minutes after the team bus set off to a Champions League game against Monaco on Tuesday night.
German federal prosecutors said the blast extended over a radius of more than 100 metres, and it was fortunate that more people were not injured. The match was postponed until last night. Dortmund lost 2-3. Security was tightened around the city, and in Munich where Bayern played Real Madrid. But Dortmund vowed not to “give in to terror”, with players returning to the pitch for training. Extra security forces were sent to team hotels and safe routes were designated for teams to reach the stadiums.
Uefa said “security procedures will be enhanced accordingly wherever needed”.
Frauke Koehler, spokeswoman for the federal prosecutor’s office, said the letters pointed to a possible extremist background.
The letters demanded Germany withdraw its air reconnaissance missions in the anti-ISIL international coalition and close the US airbase in the western German town of Ramstein.
The investigation was focusing on two suspects, said Ms Koehler. Their flats had been searched and one suspect had been detained.
Dortmund city’s police chief described the bombing as a “targeted attack” against the team, while chancellor Angela Merkel said she was horrified by the “repugnant act”.
But Dortmund’s chief executive Hans-Joachim Watze vowed that his side would carry on as normal. “We will play not only for ourselves today. We will play for everyone. We want to show that terrorism and hate can never determine our actions,” he said.
Monaco’s vice president Vadim Vasilyev said “football must not be taken hostage”, and pledged that the quarter- final would go ahead. Germany has been on high alert since a series of extremist attacks last year. The explosives were detonated minutes after the Dortmund team bus pulled away from the squad’s hotel on its way to the stadium.
Bartra underwent surgery on a broken wrist after he was hit by flying glass, Dortmund president Reinhard Rauball said. A policeman, who was on a motorcycle escorting the team bus, suffered trauma from the noise of the blasts.
The explosives shattered the bus windows and the vehicle was burnt on one side.
“The bus turned on to the main road, when there was a huge noise – a big explosion,” said Dortmund’s Swiss goalkeeper, Roman Burki. “After the bang, we all crouched down in the bus. We did not know if more would come.” The postponement of the match was announced about 15 minutes before kick-off.