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Islamist suspect held in Dortmund attack investigation

Borussia Dortmund Bus Explosion Injures One

DORTMUND, GERMANY - APRIL 11: (L-R) Sven Bender, Marcel Schmelzer and Nuri Sahin of Borussia Dortmund are escorted to a car by police after the team bus of the Borussia Dortmund was damaged in an explosion on April 11, 2017 in Dortmund, Germany. According to police an explosion detonated as the bus was leaving the hotel where the team was staying to bring them to their Champions League game against Monaco. So far one person, team member Marc Bartra, is reported injured. (Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images)

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More developments are being released about the nature of the bomb attack on the Borussia Dortmund team bus on Tuesday as German prosecutors have revealed that there was a possible Islamic extremist motive behind the attack.

[ MORE: Dortmund bus attacked ]

Ahead of Dortmund’s UEFA Champions League quarterfinal first leg game against AS Monaco on Tuesday three bombs exploded close to the team bus as it pulled away from the team hotel in the south of German city.

[ MORE: Players “shocked” by explosions ]

One person, Dortmund defender Marc Bartra, was injured in the attack as the Spaniard had surgery on his arm and wrist and remains in hospital. The game was postponed and moved to Wednesday at 12:45 p.m. ET (there will be a heavy police presence in and around the stadium with supporters urged to arrive early for extra security checks) with Dortmund fans offering shelter to Monaco supporters who had to stay an extra day to watch the game.

[ MORE: BVB fans take in Monaco supporters ]

On Wednesday it was announced by Frauke Koehler, a spokeswoman for the German federal prosecutors, that one person has been arrested in connection with the attack as two suspects from the “Islamist spectrum” were at the center of their investigations. Investigators were waiting for an arrest warrant for the other suspect.

The prosecutors also confirmed that both suspects had their apartments searched.

“Two suspects from the Islamist spectrum have become the focus of our investigation. Both of their apartments were searched, and one of the two has been detained,” Koehler said.

It was also revealed that three letters were found at the scene, all of which were written with the same content in German with “Islamist background.

The letters referenced German military airplanes in action against Syria and the so-called Islamic State in the Middle East. Prosecutors stated that the letter demands that Tornado reconnaissance jets are withdrawn from Turkey and that a United States airbase in Germany (Ramstein Air Base) is shut down. Another letter posted online claiming a left-wing extremist motion has had its credibility questioned by the German authorities.

There were also more details released about the nature of the bombs used in the attack as it was revealed they were packed with metal pins and at least one pin was found in the headrest of a seat on the bus, prompting Koehler to state: “we can talk about luck that nothing worse happened.”

It is a miracle that only one player was injured in this incident.

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