BERLIN – Two German military airfields were on high alert Tuesday after a police tip-off that they could be under threat.

A Defence Ministry spokesman in Berlin said the alerts were in force for the periods 3 to 9 May and 24 to 30 May, but declined to say what the threat was or why it was greatest at those times.

A military source said federal police investigating Iraqi nationals had communicated a terrorist bomb warning after reading documents in the course of an inquiry. The spokesman declined comment on this.

The Luftwaffe bases are a flight-training airfield at Rheine and a fighter-bomber base in Buechel, both in the west of Germany.

The “Charlie” alert is the second-highest level of alert in NATO and requires vehicles to be parked at a distance from buildings and senior officers to report to base at 60 minutes’ notice.

DPA

Subject: German news