Two bombs explode in Dresden

– Two bombs explode in Dresden

– “Aggression is on the rise” – German interior minister

– Weekend events planned for reunification anniversary







Two improvised bombs exploded in the eastern German city of Dresden on Monday evening.

One device was at a mosque, the second was at an international conference centre.

“Aggression, including that against practicers of Islam in Germany, is on the rise, so it is even more appalling that an explosives attack took place yesterday evening in Dresden at a mosque and a congress centre, just one day before the tenth anniversary of the German-Islam conference,” German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere told reporters.





Was anyone hurt?





No.

Police say no one has been injured.

The imam of the mosque was inside the building with his wife and sons when the first device went off.

They were not hurt, but the building has been damaged by pressure waves.

Shortly afterwards, the International Congress centre was damaged by an improvised device.

Patrons were evacuated from the bar of an hotel nearby.





Dresdenmosqueand congresscentre hit by twobombblasts https://t.co/MsBAO6uijo— Guardian World (@guardianworld) September 27, 2016





Why Dresden?





The city was the cradle of the anti-Islam PEGIDA grassroots movement.

Weekly rallies attracted around 20,000 supporters at the height of its popularity at the start of 2015.

More generally, the influx of around one million migrants to Germany last year has increased social tensions.

There have been some high-profile attacks on refugee shelters, particularly in eastern Germany.





Timed to coincide with reunification celebrations?





“Even if we so far have no claim of responsibility, we must go on the basis that the motive was xenophobic,” the president of Dresden Police Horst Kretschmar told police.

He said police believe there is a link to the coming weekend’s celebrations in the city to mark the anniversary of German reunification on October 3, 1990.

Has security been stepped up?

Partly.

During the night, police officers were sent to protect other mosques in the city.