18 August 2006

WIESBADEN, GERMANY - Two suitcases containing bombs and found on trains in Germany were likely to have formed part of a terrorist plot, German investigators said Friday.

The bombs were found in the German cities of Dortmund and Koblenz on July 31 with German Criminal Police Office (BKA) chief Joerg Ziercke saying that were arranged to explode simultaneously at 2.30 pm. Neither of the bombs was detonated.

"It's more likely than unlikely that there was a terrorist background," Ziercke told a news conference in Wiesbaden.

If the around 25-kilo suitcase bombs had exploded they would have led to "a fireball" in the train carriages and an "indeterminate number of injured and possible deaths", he said.

Speaking in Berlin Friday, German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble also warned that Germany should brace itself for similar attempts. "Unfortunately, we must assume that there is the danger of a repeat of these attempted attacks."

The discovery of the two bombs sparked a series of scares at railway stations across Germany with parts of the central station in Dusseldorf sealed off Friday after a suspicious suitcase was found. Officials in Dusseldorf later gave the all-clear, saying it had been a false alarm.

The BKA press conference had been called to report on the investigation into the discovery of the suitcases which contained bottles of petrol, propane gas and a detonating device in trains at Dortmund and Koblenz railway stations.

The revelations of terror link also came as investigations continued in Britain about a possible plot to blow up airlines flying between London and the US.

Speaking to reporters, the BKA chief said that it was unlikely that the bombs found at the two German railway stations represented an attempt to blackmail the German rail operator, Deutsche Bahn.

In a chilling development, German investigators also showed lengthy footage taken from video security cameras in the Cologne railway station showing two men aged between 20 and 30 transporting two suitcases alleged to have contained the explosives.

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