BERLIN: Police in Germany said on Saturday they had defused a suspicious device found on a regional train overnight near the western city of Cologne, as the country celebrated the 30th anniversary of its reunification.
Bild newspaper reported that the device was a home-made bomb capable of causing serious injuries, adding that it had been discovered by a cleaner in a cardboard box hidden in one of the train’s compartments.
“Information on the possible danger can only be provided following the assessment of experts from the state criminal police,” the police said in a statement.
Federal police sniffer dogs confirmed the location and special forces x-rayed the box before defusing the device on site, Bild reported.
The newspaper cited investigators as saying it was still unclear whether it was a failed terrorist attack or an attempted blackmail threat.