Possible extremist action linked to the political left
Left-Wing Extremist Attack Disrupts Duisburg-Düsseldorf Railway Line
A left-wing extremist attack on the Duisburg-Düsseldorf railway line has disrupted one of Germany's busiest railway connections since Thursday. The incident, suspected to be the work of the group "Kommando Angry Birds," has caused significant damage and disrupted passenger trains between the two cities.
The crime scene investigation at the second attack site lasted until midday, and repair work began immediately after. According to the police, an ignition device was placed in a cable tunnel, causing a fire that destroyed cables for controlling switches and signals near Düsseldorf. Repairs are estimated to be completed by midnight, followed by test runs to ensure the line's safety before resuming normal service.
The authenticity of a claim of responsibility, published on the left-wing platform "Indymedia," is still being checked. The group "Kommando Angry Birds" has carried out multiple acts of sabotage in the Düsseldorf area in recent years, and is known to the authorities as a left-wing extremist campaign.
The arson attack is part of a continuing pattern of left-wing extremist hostility focused on symbolic and practical disruption of state and capitalist infrastructure, including transport networks. In the past, left-wing extremism in Germany has primarily targeted symbols of the state, capitalism, and military, occasionally extending to transport infrastructure, though rail-specific attacks have generally been part of wider coordinated militant campaigns rather than isolated events.
NRW Transport Minister Oliver Krischer has vowed a thorough investigation into the attack, and NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul stated that the incident shows "how vulnerable our critical infrastructure is." The state security department is conducting the investigation, and the police are investigating the incident as sabotage.
It is worth noting that left-wing extremist attacks on German railway lines have occurred sporadically as part of broader militant campaigns by far-left groups, but detailed, specific accounts of attacks targeting railway lines are relatively rare in public records. However, a recent report indicates ongoing conflicts involving far-left groups targeting German trains, with the "Angry Birds" claiming responsibility for sabotage actions on German train infrastructure as of August 2025.
The ongoing digitization of the rail network will improve the situation in the future, making such cable attack points obsolete. Passenger trains between Duisburg and Düsseldorf could resume normal service early Saturday morning, offering relief to commuters and travellers who have been affected by the disruption.
- The disruption on the Duisburg-Düsseldorf railway line, attributed to the left-wing extremist group "Kommando Angry Birds," serves as an example of how war-and-conflicts in the form of sabotage can impact general-news such as transportation politics.
- As the police continue their investigation into the left-wing extremist attack, it highlights the crime-and-justice issue of the vulnerability of critical infrastructure like transportation networks, especially in the face of growing left-wing extremist activity in Germany.
