The key facts
- An anonymous claim of responsibility was published online; police are examining it
- Three Bundeswehr logistics trucks burned while undergoing repairs at a workshop near Magdeburg
- The group is named after Ulrike Meinhof, a co-founder of the RAF
Police examining the claim of responsibility
German police are checking a letter from a left-wing radical group claiming responsibility for the arson of three military trucks at the end of September, officials said on Thursday. The anonymous message was published on an internet platform in the name of a group calling itself the 'Ulrike Meinhof Red Working Group of Actions'. The letter states that activists set fire to the vehicles on the premises of a civilian repair shop.
Circumstances of the fire
According to Der Spiegel magazine, the burned vehicles were logistics trucks of the German armed forces, left at the workshop for maintenance near Magdeburg. Police later determined that the fire was arson and seized evidence at the scene.
The group's motivation
In the letter, the group stated: 'On September 25, thousands of schoolchildren went on strike and took to the streets in protest against conscription, militarism and war. We, the working people of course, also want to make a contribution, and so we launched this concrete disarmament initiative. War on war!'
Course of the investigation
The State Criminal Police Office (LKA) confirmed that it is aware of the letter. 'It is being examined, and the investigation continues in all directions,' LKA spokesman Uwe Bachmann told local media, adding that detailed comments were impossible due to the ongoing investigation.
Origin of the group's name
The group took the name of Ulrike Meinhof, a co-founder of the 'Red Army Faction' (RAF), an ultra-left terrorist organization active in the 1970s that carried out bombings, kidnappings and other attacks until its leaders were imprisoned. Meinhof died in custody in 1976.
