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Germany train attack suspects face extradition to Austria

AFP
AFP - [email protected]
Germany train attack suspects face extradition to Austria
Nuremberg's main train station. Photo: DPA

A Czech court said Friday an Iraqi man and woman faced extradition to Austria in connection with two 2018 attacks on trains in Germany.

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A Czech court said Friday an Iraqi man and woman faced extradition to Austria in connection with two 2018 attacks on trains in Germany.

The two were arrested at Prague airport Wednesday on a warrant issued by Austria, following Monday's arrest of a 42-year-old Iraqi suspect in Vienna.

SEE ALSO: Two Germany rail sabotage suspects detained in Prague

The 30-year-old man and 27-year-old woman "are both in extradition custody," Prague Municipal Court spokeswoman Marketa Puci told AFP.

"They will be extradited to Vienna within 10 days."

The pair are suspected of involvement in an attack which saw a steel rope strung across the tracks between the southern German cities of Munich and Nuremberg, damaging the front window of a train in October last year.

A similar case occurred in December last year near Berlin when an overhead electrical line was damaged. No one was injured in either incident.

Vienna prosecutors said only a technical error prevented casualties, adding that writings in Arabic and an Islamic State (IS) flag near the crime scenes indicated a "terrorist" motive.

The man detained in Vienna has admitted involvement in both incidents but denied any terrorist motive for the crimes, which would carry a maximum life prison sentence.

Austrian and German authorities worked together leading to Monday's arrest, according to criminal investigators in Germany's southern state of Bavaria.

Austrian media reported that the detained Iraqi father of five was working at a security company with access to football stadiums.

Germany is on alert following several jihadist attacks in recent years. 

The most deadly was committed in 2016 by 23-year-old Tunisian Anis Amri, who killed 12 people when he stole a truck and ploughed it into a Berlin Christmas market.

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