Report: Bomb intercepted at German Chancellor Merkel’s office
November 3rd, 2010 - 1:17 am ICT by BNO NewsBERLIN, GERMANY (BNO NEWS) — A suspicious package addressed to German Chancellor Angela Merkel was found in the chancellory’s mailroom in Berlin on Tuesday and has turned out to be an explosive device, according to media reports.
Bomb disposal experts examined the package, which contained an item similar to a pipe bomb with black powder. German media reported, citing unidentified security sources, that the package had tested positive for explosives.
The packages was delivered by UPS and arrived at around 1 p.m. local time while chancellor Merkel was in Belgium during an official visit. The return address of the package showed the Greek Finance Ministry and was addressed to Merkel in particular.
The package was discovered during routine screening and, after sealing off the mailroom, the package was sprayed down with a water cannon. No injuries were reported.
Earlier on Tuesday, several bombs exploded at the Swiss and Russian embassies in the Greek capital of Athens, without causing further casualties. It happened soon after the controlled detonations of two mail bombs addressed to the Chilean and the Bulgarian embassies there.
On Monday, three parcel bombs were sent to the embassies of Belgium, the Netherlands and Mexico, while a fourth was addressed to French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Police says a radical leftist group is suspected of being behind the blast, and not al-Qaeda. Two men were arrested shortly after the attacks on Monday and will appear in court on Tuesday.
Who is responsible for the explosive device in Berlin, is not known.
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- Bomb defused at Greek embassy in Rome - Dec 27, 2010
- Parcel bomb addressed to Sarkozy found in Greece - Nov 02, 2010
- Greece needs structural reforms to rebuild economy: Merkel - Jan 16, 2012
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- German parliament passes Greece bailout deal - Feb 28, 2012
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