German airport resumes operations after drone with explosive device found near Ukrainian plane
Germany's Leipzig/Halle Airport, a major hub for cargo and military equipment, has completely resumed flight operations on Thursday after an explosive-laden drone was found near a Ukrainian cargo plane a day earlier, officials said.
Several planes, including a passenger one, were diverted and part of the airport was closed, but operations are now back to normal, an airport official told ABC News on Thursday morning.
A drone carrying an unknown explosive device was discovered overnight into Wednesday near the airport's south runway, close to cargo operations, according to a joint statement from the Dresden Public Prosecutor & Saxony State Criminal Police.
Authorities said they discovered the drone fitted with an explosive device and detonator found near a Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft. German authorities classified the incident as state security case and not ruled out possibility of sabotage.
"First of all, I must say that we have to assume we are dealing with a very serious, security-related incident here," German Interior Minister Dobrindt told reporters on Wednesday. "My assessment is that we are dealing with a hybrid attack scenario here."
He said the incident "possibly also involves foreign powers," but cautioned that speculation about the explosives, including their construction and origin, along with who may be behind them, should be left to the investigation.
"Any speculation on these matters may not be heading in the right direction; could simply be completely wrong. The priority right now is to investigate in all directions," he said.
The Federal Police's bomb disposal unit removed the detonator, official said.
A second drone collided with a DHL cargo plane after the it aborted its landing due to the runway being closed, officials said, saying in a statement that plane later landed in Hanover, Germany, with minor damage.
The case was being handled by the Central Office for Extremism Saxony and the state's terrorism unit.
The authorities said on Wednesday that further information wouldn't immediately be provided due to the ongoing investigation. Investigators said there was no danger to passengers or staff.
