German prosecutors see “terrorist background” in bus attack

German prosecutors said that the series of explosions that hit the Borussia Dortmund team bus on Tuesday had a “terrorist background”, and that an Islamist motive was “possible”.

Frauke Köhler, a spokeswoman for the federal prosecutor’s office, said that the “precise motive” for the attack remained unclear, but that “two suspects from the Islamist spectrum” had come into the focus of investigators, and that both their houses had been searched.

“One of them has been temporarily detained. We are currently reviewing whether to apply for an arrest warrant against him,” she said.

Ms Köhler added that three “text-like claims of responsibility” had been found near to the site of the three explosions which injured two people and shattered the windows of the Borussia Dortmund team bus as it made its way to the Westfalenstadion to play a Champions League quarter final with France’s AS Monaco last night.

“Based on this [claim of responsibility], an Islamic background to the attack seems possible. Amongst other things in the text the removal of [German] Tornados [jets] from Syria and the closure of the [US] Ramstein airbase were demanded. The claim of responsibility is currently being examined especially by Islamic specialists. A conclusive assessment of this claim of responsibility not possible at this moment,” she said.

“In the internet on the site linksuntenindymedia.org a further claim of responsibility was published. In this a left-wing extremist background to the attack is claimed. However, based on an initial analysis, there are serious doubts over the authenticity of this claim.”