
Police have evacuated a busy Christmas market in Germany after a suspicious object containing explosives was found nearby. The surrounding area in the city of Potsdam, near Berlin has also been evacuated, police said.
Special forces were on site to examine the object, which was described as a package measuring 40 cm by 50 cm that had been delivered to a pharmacy near the market. Police said on Twitter: ‘The suspicion of an improvised explosive device has been confirmed.’ No additional details were immediately available.
Germany is on high alert for potential terrorist attacks nearly a year after a Tunisian Islamic extremist hijacked a truck, killed its driver and then rammed the vehicle into a Christmas market in Berlin, killing 11 more people there. Police were alerted around 2.30pm local time after an employee opened the package at the pharmacy and saw suspicious wires and electronics inside.