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Dresden church attacked with Molotov cocktails

Darko Janjevic
July 27, 2017

Police were searching for witnesses after unknown attackers threw two Molotov cocktails at the Martin Luther Church in central Dresden. The late-night arson attempt caused only minor damage.

https://p.dw.com/p/2hGa5
Deutschland Martin-Luther-Kirche in Dresden
Image: picture-alliance/ZB/M. Hiekel

The first of the cocktails damaged one side of the front door of the 138-year-old building, with the other bottle smashing against a sandstone wall near the access ramp on the side of the church. Traces of a "petroleum-like fluid" were noticeable on the wall and the floor of the church, the daily Sächsische Zeitung reported on Thursday.

However, the attack did not trigger a fire inside the Martin Luther Church. Police estimate that the incident, which took place at around 3 a.m. on Thursday morning, caused property damages worth around 1,000 euros ($1,167).

Read more: Why Germany's far-right flourishes in Dresden

Preacher Eckehard Möller told the Tag24 news outlet that he was "shocked" by the attack and could not think of a political motive for it.

"Something like this is just senseless," he said.

Police also said there was no immediate information about the motives of the attackers. They asked for possible witnesses to step forward. Also, the investigators found stickers attached to guttering at the church, some of which called on people to make Molotov cocktials, according to Sächsische Zeitung.