Two bombs targeted a mosque and convention hall in the German city of Dresden Monday night, and while no one is taking responsibility, police are assuming anti-foreigner sentiment is behind the two attacks.
“We have to assume a xenophobic motive, even if no one claimed responsibility,” said Dresden police president Horst Kretzschmar in a statement.
The first bomb went off outside a mosque around 10 p.m. local time, the second exploded in the city’s International Congress Center less than an hour later. Police reported the mosque’s Imam, his wife and two sons were inside the mosque at the time of the attack, but no one sustained injuries in either explosion.
BREAKING: German police say 2 bombs exploded outside a mosque in #Dresden last night, no injuries reported pic.twitter.com/2AFK1SOF7U
— News_Executive (@News_Executive) September 27, 2016
Despite assuming the attack was xenophobic in nature, Kretzschmar acknowledged that police “see a connection with the celebration of the Day of German Unity next weekend,” the anniversary which marks the reunification of West and East Germany after the end of the Cold War. He added that Dresden police are now operating in “crisis mode.”
Extra police officers have been activated to protect five Islamic centers across Dresden, which will be ongoing throughout this weekend’s festivities.
The anti-refugee group Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West (PEGIDA) was founded in Dresden in 2014. While the group has often engaged in harsh rhetoric against Islamic immigrants, it has yet to engage in violent terrorist attacks.
Send tips to russ@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.