German authorities are investigating an overnight incident at Leipzig airport in which a drone was found carrying what officials described as an 'unknown explosive device'. State prosecutors, including extremism and terrorism prevention units, have taken over the case.
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Key facts
- An airport employee spotted a drone carrying what authorities called an 'unknown explosive device' at Leipzig airport, according to Al Jazeera.
- German state prosecutors, including units focused on extremism and terrorism prevention, have taken over the investigation, according to The Guardian.
- The Guardian reported the overnight incident also involved an object clashing with one of DHL's planes near Leipzig.
- DHL Group CEO Tobias Meyer said the logistics firm was studying the incident.
- The Guardian reported the drone was found near a Ukrainian plane at the cargo airport.
German authorities have launched an investigation after a drone carrying what officials described as an ‘unknown explosive device’ was discovered at Leipzig airport, according to Al Jazeera. The object was spotted by an airport employee.
According to The Guardian, German state prosecutors, including units that work on extremism and terrorism prevention, have taken over the investigation into the Leipzig incident.
The Guardian reported that the drone was found near a Ukrainian plane at the busy cargo airport, and that the overnight incident also involved an object clashing with one of DHL’s planes near Leipzig.
DHL Group CEO Tobias Meyer said the logistics firm was examining what had happened. ‘We’ve got plans for cases like this, and we’ll try to make sure that the influence on our customers will be as low as possible,’ Meyer said during a quarterly results call, as reported by Reuters and cited by The Guardian.
The available details remain limited. Authorities have not yet publicly outlined the origin of the drone or any motive behind the incident.
At this stage, no further specifics on the device, potential suspects, or the extent of any damage have been made public by the outlets reporting on the incident.
Why it matters
The discovery of an explosive device on a drone at a busy European cargo airport, and the decision by counter-terrorism prosecutors to take over the case, point to the seriousness with which German authorities are treating the incident. Key questions, including the drone's origin and any motive, remain unanswered.
Frequently asked questions
What was found at Leipzig airport?
An airport employee spotted a drone carrying what authorities described as an 'unknown explosive device', according to Al Jazeera.
Who is investigating the incident?
German state prosecutors, including units working on extremism and terrorism prevention, have taken over the investigation, according to The Guardian.
Was DHL affected?
The Guardian reported the incident also involved an object clashing with one of DHL's planes near Leipzig. CEO Tobias Meyer said the firm was studying the incident and had plans in place to minimise the impact on customers.
Timeline
- Germany investigates drone carrying ‘explosive device’ near Ukrainian plane at busy cargo airport – as it happened
The Guardian World: German state prosecutors including units working on extremism and terrorism prevention take over investigation into Leipzig incident For what it’s worth, DHL Group CEO Tobias Meyer said the German logistics firm was studying the overnight incident which also involved an object c
- Germany investigates explosive device attached to drone at Leipzig airport
Al Jazeera: An airport employee spotted the object carrying what authorities described as 'an unknown explosive device'.