Two arson attacks on the railroad have brought train service in Germany to a standstill
Two arson attacks occurred in Germany on one of the key railway sections between Düsseldorf and Cologne. Due to damage to signal cables, train service had to be temporarily suspended, and the far-left group Kommando Angry Birds claimed responsibility for the incident.
Police are already investigating the incident as a possible act of sabotage. However, law enforcement has not yet confirmed the authenticity of the statement published online.
According to Deutsche Bahn, two separate fires broke out on the morning of July 10 on the railway section between Langenfeld and Leverkusen. One fire started near the railway bridge over the Wupper River, and the other occurred within the Langenfeld area. The fire damaged several signal cables, forcing a complete suspension of train service between the Leverkusen-Mitte and Langenfeld stations.
Shortly thereafter, a statement from the radical left-wing group Kommando Angry Birds appeared online. Its members claim that they were responsible for setting the fires. In the statement, they even described how they planted incendiary devices in two cable shafts. According to representatives of the group, they justify their actions by their desire for the “complete destruction of the technological-industrial system.” “We advocate for the complete destruction of the technological-industrial system,” the group’s statement reads.
They also link their actions to the fact that, in their view, technological progress allegedly leads to “mass extinction.” However, there is currently no official confirmation that this particular group is behind the arson attacks. Law enforcement officials are verifying the authenticity of the published statement and investigating all the circumstances of the incident.
The Cologne police are handling the investigation. According to ARD, investigators are preliminarily treating the sabotage theory as the leading hypothesis. This is not the first time the group Kommando Angry Birds has claimed responsibility for attacks on Germany’s railway infrastructure.
For example, in January 2025, representatives of the same group claimed responsibility for setting fire to cables on a major freight rail line between Düsseldorf and Solingen. At that time, serious disruptions to train service were also reported.
Currently, Deutsche Bahn specialists are continuing restoration work to repair the damage as quickly as possible and return train service to its normal schedule. At the same time, law enforcement officials are investigating who exactly is behind the arson attacks and whether other individuals were involved. This was reported by Tagesschau.
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