Dundorf

[TheNick]

Glück Says 'Group from Solentia' Responsible for January Dunburg Attack
March 5737

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An empty lot in Haldorstrasse where a building severely damaged by the explosion was demolished.

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DUNBURG - As reconstruction efforts in Bandau, west Dunburg, begin to take place for a demolished residential building (pictured), this Sunday the Interior Minister Bernard Glück shared a very important update in the ongoing investigation into the January 26 car bombing in Haldorstrasse. The Minister announced that a 'key development' in the investigation allowed investigators to identify a 'terrorist cell originating from Solentia' as the perpretator of the car bombing attack last January. This determination, explained the Minister, was possible to make after investigators began following a lead connected to the death of a 29-year-old Alorian national who was one of the five victims reported.

That person has been identified as a waiter in a Majatran restaurant which recently opened in Llyn, the capital city of Aloria. Reportedly, this person doesn't have a prior criminal record, and appears to originate from a working class background. The Minister explained how the activity of this supposed restaurant might have been a cover for the activity of a terrorist cell:

We believe this restaurant served as a cover for the criminal operations of a terrorist cell originating from Solentia, with whom this Alorian national came into contact once he was hired as a waiter. We believe this man became sympathetic to the cell's motive and acted as their accomplice during the car attack. I cannot comment further on the identity of the suspects in order to not jeopardize the investigation. What I can say is that this lead is believed to be solid by investigators and that it will continue to be pursued.

During the press conference, the Minister was joined by the Director of the Intelligence Service, Mrs. Paula Engelhart, who shared a few more details on the movement of this cell within Dundorf, and the likely motive of the attack:

We were able to partially trace back the movements of the suspects, mostly thanks to CCTV and other methods I won't characterize at this stage. The Alorian man drove a red car from Llyn to Dunburg on the morning of January 25, one day prior to the attack, because he had been recruited as the executor of this action. He was stopped at a border control checkpoint where he was cleared to enter by agents of the Border Patrol. Clearly, at that time, his car did not carry explosives. Two of the suspects of the terrorist cell proper, in total six men, entered Dundorf back and forth from Aloria for a total of two times between December and January. We believe during that time, the terrorists procured the explosive and gave it to the Alorian accomplice on January 25. The area these people visited was the Bandau district, with particular respect to the area adjacent to the Embassy of Dorvik. This investigation has led us to believe that the target was the Dorvish Embassy, which at the time was hosting an event on Dundorfian-Dorvish bilateral relations, open to diplomats and authorities. The two men belonging to the cell left Dunburg in the afternoon of January 26, a few hours prior to the attack, last seen by CCTV driving a van through the highway to Vögelberg, before crossing back into Aloria. We note that the Border Patrol never stopped any of these people due to the lack of criminal precedent, which denied grounds to make an arrest.

The Director was asked by our reporter two things: on speculation that the attack somehow did not go as planned by the attackers, and if the BND or the Police have made any arrest relating to this investigation. Director Engelhart responded:

On your first question: we investigated this claim. The target, as I said, was likely the Dorvish Embassy, but the car detonated meters away from it, under a residential building. We believe that the increased security within the Dorvish Embassy for this diplomatic event, which was not publicized, somehow scared the Alorian national, who parked the car in an area not patrolled by security. Additionally, since he himself died in the attack, we believe he mishandled the explosive as he was setting it up.
On your second question: not at this time. I can't say much more else than we do have knowledge that will let us keep the Dundorfian people safe.

Finally, we asked the Minister if he believed Aloria or Solentia were behind this attack, or if their governments knew:

Nothing at this stage points to knowledge or direct involvement of the Alorian government. But I won't comment further.