3 blasts go off near team bus in Germany

Associated Press

DORTMUND, Germany

Three explosions went off near the team bus of Borussia Dortmund, one of Germany’s top soccer clubs, as it set off for a Champions League quarterfinal match Tuesday evening. One of Dortmund’s players was injured.

Police said they were working on the assumption that the blasts were directed at the Dortmund team and caused by “serious explosive devices,” which may have been hidden in a hedge near a car park.

The explosions happened as the team was departing its hotel for a first-leg match against Monaco. The game was called off shortly before kickoff and rescheduled for today.

A letter claiming responsibility was found near the site of the blasts, prosecutor Sandra Luecke told a late-evening news conference. She said investigators are examining the authenticity of what was written in the letter but wouldn’t reveal more about its contents, citing the ongoing investigation.

The case is being investigated as attempted homicide, Luecke said.

“We had to assume, and assumed right from the start, that this was a targeted attack against the team of Borussia Dortmund,” said Dortmund Police Chief Gregor Lange. Investigators are not excluding any possible angles in their investigation.