Railway line in North Rhine-Westphalia restored following deliberate fire damage - Trains in North Rhine-Westphalia resumed service following a blaze incident
Arson Attacks on North Rhine-Westphalia Railway Line Under Investigation
The railway line connecting Duisburg and Düsseldorf, one of the busiest in Germany with over 620 passenger trains daily, has been disrupted due to arson attacks. The incidents, which occurred on Thursday, have caused significant damage and are currently under investigation by German authorities.
The police completed the investigation of the second attack site on Friday afternoon, allowing repair work to begin. A second fire damage was discovered on Friday, approximately two kilometers away from the first site. The fires destroyed cables for the control of switches and signals, causing disruption to long-distance and regional traffic.
The police and state security agencies are treating the incidents as deliberate sabotage. On Thursday, unknown persons placed an ignition device in a cable tunnel, causing smoke. The main railway line has been reopened, but disruptions are still being experienced due to repair delays and service adjustments.
A group called "Kommando Angry Birds" claimed responsibility for the attack on the left-wing platform "Indymedia". However, the authenticity of this statement is still being checked by the police. Interior Minister Herbert Reul suspects left-wing extremists are behind the attack, but no official confirmation has been made.
The authorities are aware of this as a left-wing extremist "participation campaign". NRW Transport Minister Oliver Krischer (Greens) expressed his dismay over the "enormous damage" caused by the attacks. The state protection is investigating the arson attacks, and updates on the progress of the investigation will be provided as they become available.
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I'm not sure if the group called "Kommando Angry Birds" is actually responsible for the arson attacks on the North Rhine-Westphalia railway line, as the police are still working to confirm the authenticity of their claim. The investigations by the authorities, including the police and state security agencies, are ongoing to determine if left-wing extremists are behind these deliberate sabotage incidents, which were also reported in general-news and crime-and-justice sections.
