Germany finds 12 more homemade explosives near power grid infrastructure
German police discovered 12 homemade explosive devices near high-voltage lines close to substations by Bautzen and Görlitz, and are investigating a possible link to earlier attacks on the power grid this week. Authorities suspect climate extremists and are still searching for a 48-year-old man who claimed responsibility in letters.
German authorities are continuing to investigate a series of attacks on the country's electricity transmission infrastructure after explosives were found at two more substations. Regional police said on Saturday they are examining whether the newly discovered devices are connected to similar incidents earlier this week.
Twelve devices found
Following a tip from a resident, 12 homemade explosive devices were found on Friday attached to high-voltage lines near substations by Bautzen and Görlitz. Explosives experts managed to defuse the devices, though nearby power lines had to be briefly switched off during the operation.
Suspected motive and suspect
Authorities believe the string of attacks this week aimed to cut electricity supply from coal-fired power plants and trigger widespread power outages. Investigators suspect climate extremists are behind the incidents. A 48-year-old man from Gevelsberg has claimed responsibility for earlier sabotage in two letters, saying he wanted to draw attention to what he calls the crime of generating electricity from fossil fuels.
Police searched the man's property in his hometown but have not managed to detain him. On Friday, a heavily armed police unit in North Rhine-Westphalia checked a truck believed to belong to the suspect in the Hambach Forest, but the arrest attempt failed. The forest holds symbolic significance for Germany's climate activist movement, having been the site of years of protests against clearing woodland to expand a nearby coal mine.
