Germany: Left-wing group says it is behind railway sabotage

A left-wing activist group on Saturday claimed responsibility for sabotaging a railway line in western Germany.

What do we know so far?

The "Angry Birds Commando" group, in a letter posted on German left-wing website indymedia.org, said it placed incendiary devices on the railway line between Cologne and Düsseldorf.

A fire was ignited in two places between the German city of Leverkusen and the town of Langenfeld on Friday morning, stopping train operations and causing disruption. Firefighters extinguished the flames but the damage on the track remained.

In the online letter claiming responsibility, the "Angry Birds Commando" group blamed industrial technology for the destruction of the environment: "This movement will prevent the planet from being shredded."

Unclear when normal train operations will resume

Repair work on the train line is expected to continue through Saturday afternoon. The act of vandalism has caused cancellations and delays, and it's unclear when normal operations will resume.

German dpa news agency cited security sources who suspect the letter is genuine.

Meanwhile, Cologne police say an investigation has been launched and have put out a call for witnesses.

The "Angry Birds Commando" group has claimed responsbility for earlier sabotage, causing disruption on train line used by Deutsche Bahn between the cities of Düsseldorf and Duisdorf in 2025.

Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko

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