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German authorities have arrested a suspected Islamist in connection with an attack on a bus carrying players of one of the country's top football teams, a spokeswoman for the Federal Prosecutor's Office says.
Key points:
- Apartments of two suspected Islamists searched
- German Chancellor "appalled" by attack
- Spanish defender undergoes surgery for wrist and arm injuries
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman said she was "appalled" by Tuesday evening's attack on the Borussia Dortmund bus.
Spanish defender Marc Bartra was injured in the attack and the team had to play the fixture against Monaco less than 24 hours later.
The spokeswoman for the Federal Prosecutor's Office, which handles probes into suspected terrorism, said investigators had found three letters near the scene of the attack, all with the same content suggesting a possible Islamist motive.
Spokeswoman Frauke Koehler said the letters referred to the use of Tornado reconnaissance planes in Syria, which Germany has deployed as part of the military campaign against the Islamic State group.
The letters also called for the closure of the US military base at Ramstein in western Germany.
Ms Koehler noted an online claim of responsibility by an anti-fascist group, but said there was serious doubt about its validity.
Investigators had identified two suspects from the "Islamist scene", searched their apartments and detained one man, she said.
The incident forced a 24-hour postponement of the team's high-profile clash with AS Monaco.
Officials said security had been stepped up for that game and a second Champions League quarter-final in Germany on Wednesday, between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.
Ralf Jaeger, interior minister in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, which includes Dortmund, said the investigation was looking "in all directions", and it was unclear if one or several attackers were involved.
Spanish international undergoes surgery
The blasts smashed windows on the bus carrying the players to the stadium for the match against AS Monaco.
Bartra was operated on for a broken bone in his right wrist and shrapnel in his arm, a team spokesman said.
"The Chancellor was last night, like people in Dortmund, like millions everywhere, appalled by the attack on the BVB team bus," Ms Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert told a news conference.
"One can only be relieved that the consequences were not worse," he said, praising Dortmund fans for offering accommodation to AS Monaco fans after the postponement.
Bartra, 26, joined Dortmund for 8 million euros ($11.4 million) last year from Barcelona, after coming through the Catalan club's youth system. He has made 12 appearances for the Spanish national team.
UEFA ramps up security
European soccer's governing body, UEFA, said there had been no specific intelligence regarding any threat to any of the day's Champions League fixtures, which also includes a match in Spain between Atletico Madrid and England's Leicester City.
UEFA "is reviewing the security arrangements for tonight's matches and security procedures will be enhanced accordingly wherever needed," it said, asking supporters to allow more time for the possibility of extra security checks.
Police in Munich said they were deploying an additional 80 officers and strengthening security around hotels and key routes for the match there.
Reuters
Topics: terrorism, crime, law-crime-and-justice, soccer, germany
First posted