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Explosives found in package near German Christmas market Explosives found in package near German Christmas market
(35 minutes later)
Police say that a suspicious package that caused the evacuation of a Christmas market in the German city of Potsdam, has been confirmed to contained explosives. Police say that a suspicious package that caused the evacuation of a Christmas market in the German city of Potsdam contained explosives.
“The suspicion of an improvised explosive device has been confirmed,” police said on Twitter. They later tweeted that the device had been defused. “The suspicion of an improvised explosive device has been confirmed,” police said on Twitter. They later tweeted that the device had been defused, though were still investigating what the explosives were.
Earlier, officers said special forces were examining the object, which was described by the Potsdamer Neueste Nachrichten newspaper as a package measuring 40 cm (15.75in) by 50 cm that had been delivered to a pharmacy near the market. Earlier, officers said special forces were examining the object, which was described by the Potsdamer Neueste Nachrichten newspaper as a package measuring 40cm (15.75in) by 50cm that had been delivered to a pharmacy near the market.
Germany is on high alert for potential terrorist attacks nearly a year after a Tunisian Islamist hijacked a truck, killed its driver, and then rammed the vehicle into a Christmas market in nearby Berlin, killing 11 more people there. Germany is on high alert for potential terrorist attacks nearly a year after a Tunisian Islamist hijacked a truck, killed its driver, and rammed the vehicle into a Christmas market in nearby Berlin, killing 11 more people there.
The newspaper said police were alerted around 1430 local time (1330 GMT) after an employee opened the package at the pharmacy and saw suspicious wires and electronics inside. The newspaper said police were alerted at about 2.30pm local time (1.30pm GMT) after an employee opened the package at the pharmacy and saw suspicious wires and electronics inside.
Christmas markets opened across Germany on Monday at the start of the holiday season, fortified with security staff and concrete barriers to protect shoppers. Germany has around 2,600 such markets, filled with sparkling Christmas trees and wooden stalls serving candied nuts, sausages, mulled wine and handicrafts. Christmas markets opened across Germany on Monday at the start of the holiday season, fortified with security staff and concrete barriers to protect shoppers. The country has about 2,600 such markets, filled with sparkling Christmas trees and wooden stalls serving candied nuts, sausages, mulled wine and handicrafts.
The German interior minister, Thomas de Maiziere, this week said Germany had increased information-sharing between state and federal officials and taken other steps to increase security after a series of missteps on the Berlin case. An interior ministry spokesman this week said the risk of an attack in Europe and Germany was “continuously high”. The German interior minister, Thomas de Maiziere, this week said Germany had increased information-sharing between state and federal officials and taken other steps to increase security after a series of missteps on the Berlin case.
An interior ministry spokesman this week said the risk of an attack in Europe and Germany was “continuously high”.