German authorities are investigating a serious case of deliberate arson that led to large-scale disruptions to rail transport in the western part of the country. A fire broke out on the railway line between Düsseldorf and Cologne, in the Leverkusen area, affecting key communication infrastructure and signal cables of the operator “Deutsche Bahn“.
The group “Kommando Angry Birds“ distributed a letter on the left-wing online platform “Indymedia“, claiming responsibility for the attack. They point to resistance to “technological escalation“, which is damaging the environment, as their motive. The interior minister of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Herbert Reul, strongly condemned the event, saying that the perpetrators only wanted chaos and violence. According to security sources quoted by the German news agency DPA, the distributed letter is considered authentic. The police in Cologne have launched a large-scale investigation into the incident.