Germany probes new letter claiming Borussia Dortmund bus attack

The Borussia Dortmund team bus after an explosion near their hotel on April 11, 2017. PHOTO: REUTERS

BERLIN (AFP) - German prosecutors are examining a third claim of responsibility for blasts that rocked Borussia Dortmund's team bus it was reported Saturday (April 15), but no new suspects have emerged.

With Dortmund players due back on the pitch in the Bundesliga, police are pursuing leads regarding the attack on Tuesday that injured Spanish international Marc Bartra and a policeman.

Three bombs containing pieces of metal detonated minutes after the team bus left a hotel for a Champions League match against Monaco.

The Tagesspiegel newspaper revealed it had received a new letter, apparently from far-right circles, railing against multi-culturalism, saying it had been behind the triple blast and threatening another attack.

"We have the letter claiming responsibility. We are examining it," said Frauke Koehler, spokeswoman for federal prosecutors, referring to the claim received by Tagesspiegel.

Several such claims have already been investigated without any breakthrough.

Three identical letters found close to the site had initially suggested an Islamist link, but questions have arisen about the authenticity of that claim.

A sole suspect - an Iraqi man - taken into custody over the Islamist link has since been cleared of involvement and a second claim, purporting to be from the far-left, was made online, but prosecutors had cast doubt on it early on.

Badly shaken by the attack, Dortmund nevertheless played their delayed first leg quarter-final match against Monaco on Wednesday, losing 3-2 to the French club.

The team is gearing up to host Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga on Saturday, when six other league games are also to be played under heightened security.

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